El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has said he is open to remaining in power for another 10 years, a statement that has reignited debate over constitutional limits and democratic norms in the Central American country. In a video interview published on Monday, Bukele said that if the decision were up to him, he would continue leading the country for another decade, according to Reuters.
Bukele, who first took office in 2019 and is now serving a second term that critics have labeled unconstitutional, said he had previously agreed with his wife to leave politics in 2029. His latest remarks come as El Salvador prepares for its next presidential election in 2027, which will determine leadership through 2033.
Under recent legal changes, Bukele will be eligible to run for a third term. Reuters reported that in July the ruling party-controlled Congress approved a constitutional reform abolishing presidential term limits, extending terms from five to six years, and moving the election date forward. Legal experts in El Salvador and abroad have questioned the legality of these moves, noting that the constitution bars consecutive presidential re-election in multiple articles.
Bukele won his second term in early 2024 by a landslide despite the constitutional ban, buoyed by extraordinarily high approval ratings. The 44-year-old former publicist has drawn widespread public support for his hardline security policies, which have dramatically reduced murder rates in a country once plagued by gang violence.
Critics, however, argue that the security crackdown has come at a steep cost to civil liberties. Human rights groups have accused the government of arbitrary detentions, abuse of detainees and deaths in custody. Bukele has rejected claims that he is entrenching authoritarian rule, saying he does not intend to establish a dictatorship and that it should ultimately be up to Salvadorans to decide whether he remains in power, Reuters reported.
