The US State Department has expressed unusual support for El Salvador’s decision to abolish the president’s term limit, paving the way for President Naive Bukere to seek indefinite re-election. Critics argue that controversial moves undermine democratic stability.
The El Salvadoran parliament, ruled by the Idea Party of Bucquere’s Nuevas Idea, voted later last week to quickly approve constitutional amendments, sparking immediate backlash both domestically and internationally. This amendment clears the way in which the president serves multiple consecutive terms.
Today, the United States is publicly supporting the leadership of Central America.
“The Legislative Assembly in El Salvador was democratically elected to promote the interests and policies of its members,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “Their decision to make constitutional changes is their own. It is up to them to decide how their country should be governed.”
US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have previously praised Buquere’s effectiveness in reducing crime, citing El Salvador as a model of regional security cooperation. Rubio and Buquel established relationships long before they became Trump’s top diplomats. After Rubio visited El Salvador as a senator in 2023, he celebrated the crackdown on Buquere’s leaders and criminal gangs, calling for the strong democratic institutions of El Salvador to attract more foreign investment.
When the Trump administration began deporting immigrants from the United States to the infamous Centre for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT) in El Salvador, many of them claim to be Gang members in Venezuela – Rubio served as an important figure. He traveled to El Salvador early in his tenure as Secretary of State and personally cooperated with Bucchere and Salvador officials on the case of Kilmer Abrego Garcia, court filings show. Rubio also worked directly with Buquere to negotiate a complicated prisoner swap – 250 Venezuelans deported from the United States to El Salvador in exchange for 10 US citizens held in Venezuela.
Following the parliamentary vote, Salvador’s opposition lawmaker Marcela Viratro warned that “democracy has died in El Salvador today,” highlighting concerns about a decline in integrated power and political participation.
Bukele took office in 2019 for a five-year term. In 2021, the Supreme Court of El Salvador – made up of judges appointed by a party-controlled parliament of Buquere’s party – ruled that immediate re-election is acceptable despite previously unconstitutional. At the time, the ruling drew sharp criticism from rights groups, opposition leaders and even US embassies under the Biden administration, in stark contrast to the current position of the US. In August 2024, Bukel told Time Magazine he would not seek a third term in office.
The European Union is being cautious as it “notes” on constitutional reform in El Salvador, saying it emphasizes that future cooperation will be led by “democratic governance, transparency, the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
Juanita Goebertus, American director of Human Rights Watch, criticized the move sharply, saying, “The Buquere Party is pushing for explicit constitutional reform to allow for indefinite re-election of the president. They are following the same path as Venezuela.
A US State Department spokesman pushed back that sentiment and said:
The US State Department’s position represents a major shift from its historic stance. Historical stances usually criticize long-term presidential conditions across Latin America, raising concerns among observers about the long-term impact on the region’s democracy.
In El Salvador, many citizens voiced up Bukere’s constitutional reforms, viewing them as essential for continued stability and security. Still, some observers wonder whether the benefits of immediate security could mask deeper risks for Salvador’s democracy.
Bukere vehemently defended the decision on social media and posted it on X. “90% of developed countries allow for indefinite re-election of government heads. And when a small, poor country like El Salvador tries to do the same, it’s all of a sudden the end of democracy.”
Buquere’s advisor, Damien Merlot, strengthened this position, telling CNN: Merlo said, “Allowing reelection does not guarantee extension conditions. President Bukere, and/or anyone running for president, still needs to campaign, votes and win the trust of people.”
Despite widespread criticism from human rights groups and democratic advocates, Buquere remains overwhelmingly popular among the Salvadorans. This dramatically reduces crime, primarily due to aggressive crackdowns against street gangs. CNN previously reported that Bukkere’s strict security measures have resulted in a historically low murder rate, which has helped to consistently increase the approval rate of 90%, according to the Salvadora government.
Bukere doesn’t seem to be bothered by criticism. In a June speech, to mark the first year of his second term, he said he “doesn’t mind” about the accusations of authoritarianism.
“I would rather be called a dictator than I would see the Salvadorans murdered on the streets,” Bukel said in cheers. “When I check my phone, I would rather read “dictator, dictator, dictator” in the headline than watching “murder, murder, murder.” ”
But critics like Amnesty International warn of serious risks to democratic foundations, the gap that resonated on social media. Former professional tennis player Martina Navratilova was posted on X.
Trump previously made headlines on the topic of time limits. In 2018, Trump, in particular, saw China’s President Xi Jinping remove the period limit and said, “He’s now the president of life. …I think it’s great. I think we’ll have to give it one day.”
