The National Assembly confirmed via its official social media that five articles of the Constitution were amended, receiving 57 votes in favor and just three opposed. The new rules ensure that presidential elections align with legislative and municipal voting cycles. Ana Figueroa, the legislator who proposed the reforms, noted that term limits had never applied to lawmakers or mayors and argued that the same should now apply to the presidency.

Bukele, first elected in 2019, ran successfully for re-election in 2024 after the Constitutional Court—reconfigured by his allies—reinterpreted term-limit provisions. The latest changes now enshrine this political reality into law, making it possible for him to run again after his current term ends, which lawmakers say should now conclude in 2027 rather than 2029, aligning with the new electoral calendar.

Political Dominance Amid Eroding Civil Liberties

President Bukele, 44, has maintained high popularity by spearheading an aggressive anti-gang campaign that led to mass arrests and sharp drops in homicide and extortion rates. However, civil society groups say the gains have come at the expense of civil liberties, due process, and press freedoms.

Bukele has branded himself a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump and has collaborated on deportation and prison agreements, including accepting MS-13 gang members expelled from the United States in exchange for detaining deported immigrants.

Critics argue that the constitutional revisions mark the culmination of Bukele’s years-long efforts to centralize authority, raising concerns about El Salvador’s democratic trajectory as the country enters an era of indefinite presidential re-election.