This profile mirrors and is kept in sync with the El Salvador entry in the main guide's case studies.
Overview
Nayib Bukele used the 2021 dawn-session removal of the Supreme Court's constitutional chamber and a rolling state of exception to consolidate power, then in August 2025 abolished presidential term limits entirely, clearing the way for indefinite reelection. His Nuevas Ideas party put that change to its first test by nominating him unopposed in July 2026 to seek a third consecutive term in the February 2027 general election.
Analytical lens
Concepts on this wiki that help explain this case: Democratic Backsliding and Executive Aggrandizement, Autocratic Legalism.