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El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele speaks at the National Palace as he hosts a meeting with US congresspeople in San Salvador, El Salvador, January 19, 2026
EL SALVADOR’S ruling party has backed hard-right President Nayib Bukele to seek re-election next February, paving the way for a possible a third consecutive term despite fierce criticism from lawyers and human rights campaigners.
Mr Bukele’s New Ideas party, which has a supermajority in the legislature, held internal elections on Sunday and announced the results the following day.
The 44-year-old, who has been compared to Donald Trump, first took office in June 2019.
His February 2024 re-election sparked strong criticism from constitutional scholars for violating a ban on consecutive re-election.
They accuse Bukele of illegally replacing the Constitutional Court judges and attorney general to concentrate his power.
“Remaining in power is to avoid accountability for grave acts of corruption and crimes against humanity,” said Ingrid Escobar, lawyer and director of Salvadoran group Humanitarian Legal Aid, who added that seeking a third term was unconstitutional.
A September 2021 ruling by the constitutional Court allowed presidential re-election “for one term only.”
The legislature then approved a constitutional reform in July 2025 to allow indefinite presidential re-election, extend the presidential term from five to six years and brought forward the next presidential elections to 2027.
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