State Department Nods To Indefinite Reelection In Bukele's El Salvador: 'It Is Up To Them'

The U.S. State Department appeared to nod to the constitutional amendment by the party of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, which allows him to pursue indefinite reelection.

Concretely, a department spokesperson said that the "Legislative Assembly of El Salvador was democratically elected to advance the interests and policies of its constituents" and the decision "to make constitutional changes is theirs."

"It is up to them to determine how their country should be governed," the spokesperson added, according to the Latin America Daily Briefing. "We reject the comparison of El Salvador's legislative process — democratic and constitutionally sound — with illegitimate dictatorial regimes elsewhere in our region," the official concluded.

The changes, approved last week, also extend presidential terms to six years. Moreover, the initiative gets rid of the presidential runoff, which pitted the two top performers in a second round. It was overwhelmingly approved by Bukele's New Ideas party, which holds a supermajority in Congress. Only three of Congress' 60 lawmakers opposed.

Bukele's party had already allowed him to continue in power despite constitutional bans. Last year he won reelection with overwhelming support after Supreme Court judges elected by his party allowed him to run for reelection.

The Associated Press noted that observers have worried about the possibility that Bukele will seek to perpetuate himself in office for years, especially since his party voted to remove the judges of the Supreme Court's constitutional chamber, removing the last constitutional check in place.

The outlet also made a brief analysis of the political situation in the country, saying many Salvadorans have chosen to overlook accusations of human rights abuses and deals with powerful gangs because of the improved security situation.

Several investigations have accused Bukele of cutting a deal with the leaders of the MS-13 gang in the early years of his presidency. In May, a gang leader revealed a deal to help propel him to power and keep him there.