SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – Salvadorans are preparing to vote on Sunday in elections that are predicted to result in another overwhelming victory for President Nayib Bukele, despite concerns about his authoritarian tendencies. Bukele has gained immense popularity by cracking down on gang violence that has plagued El Salvador.
At the age of 42, Bukele has won over many supporters with his harsh security strategy, which involved the suspension of civil liberties in order to arrest thousands of suspected gang members without charges. The result was a significant reduction in murder rates across the country, transforming El Salvador from one of the world’s most dangerous places to a much safer environment.
Most polls indicate that voters are likely to reward Bukele for dismantling the crime organizations that had made life unbearable for the country’s 6.3 million residents and contributed to waves of migration to the U.S.
“I would vote for Bukele because of the work he has done so far,” said Juan Carlos Rosales, 44, a systems engineer in the capital San Salvador. “The improvement in security is palpable.”
Bukele, a charismatic and outspoken politician, came to power in 2019 after defeating El Salvador’s traditional parties. Since then, he has used his New Ideas party’s significant representation in the legislative assembly to make changes to the courts and other institutions, consolidating his control over key parts of the government. He has also been a vocal advocate for the adoption of Bitcoin as a legal tender, a move that has drawn criticism from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Bukele is set to become the first Salvadoran president in more than a century to be re-elected. Despite protests from opponents and concerns about his potential long-term rule, around 80% of Salvadorans continue to support him.
While human rights organizations have raised alarms about the state of democracy in El Salvador, Bukele has largely dismissed those concerns. He has even referred to himself as the “World’s coolest dictator” on a social media platform. However, these issues do not seem to bother most Salvadorans.
“There is still a huge amount to do but, step by step, we will resolve entire decades of looting and neglect,” Bukele wrote on social media this week.
There are five other candidates running for president, including politicians from the former leftist guerrilla Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) and the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA).
If re-elected, Bukele’s main challenge will likely be the struggling economy, which has been the slowest growing in Central America during his time in power. More than a quarter of Salvadorans live in poverty, and extreme poverty has doubled while private investment has declined. Additionally, Bukele’s plans for Bitcoin City, a tax-free crypto haven powered by geothermal energy from a volcano, have not gained much momentum.
The IMF, which is in negotiations with El Salvador for a $1.3 billion bailout, has described the country’s fiscal situation as “fragile”.
(Reporting by Nelson Renteria and Diego Ore; Writing by Drazen Jorgic and David Gregorio)
