The US State Department has voiced rare support for El Salvador’s decision to abolish presidential term limits, paving the way for President Nayib Bukele to seek indefinite reelection. Critics argue the controversial move undermines democratic stability.
El Salvador’s legislature, controlled by Bukele’s Nuevas Ideas party, approved the constitutional amendment swiftly in a vote late last week, sparking immediate backlash domestically and internationally. The amendment clears the way for presidents to serve multiple consecutive terms.
Now, the US is publicly backing the Central American nation’s leadership.
“El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly was democratically elected to advance the interests and policies of their constituents,” 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 Bukele’s effectiveness in reducing crime and have cited El Salvador as a model for regional security cooperation. Rubio and Bukele established a relationship long before he became Trump’s top diplomat. After Rubio visited El Salvador as a senator in 2023, he celebrated Bukele’s leadership and crackdown on criminal gangs, calling on him to make El Salvador’s democratic institutions strong to attract more foreign investment.
Posted by John3262005
2 Comments
Ghoulish
My God. We already knew about Trump authoritarian fetish but can we stop ruining our international image