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111-412: [REDACTED] Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez ( Spanish: [naˈʝiβ buˈkele] ; born 24 July 1981) is a Salvadoran politician and businessman who, since 1 June 2019, has been the 81st president of El Salvador . As a member of the Nuevas Ideas political party, Bukele is the first Salvadoran president since 1989 who was not elected as a candidate of one of the country's two major political parties :

222-673: A US$ 109 million loan for the Territorial Control Plan. In May 2021, after Nuevas Ideas won a Legislative Assembly supermajority in that year's legislative election , Bukele's allies in the legislature voted to replace the attorney general and all five justices of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice . Bukele has attacked journalists and news outlets on social media and has implemented laws that, critics claim, censor

333-669: A coup d'état led by Vice President General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez overthrew Arturo Araujo. This dictatorial government would establish the foundations of a rigid and totally militarized nation. It was not until 1939 when General Martínez called for a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution which established that the presidential term would be increased from 4 to 6 years and would begin and end on 1 January. During his presidency, Martínez initiated La Matanza which killed 25,000 indigenous peoples. Martínez would be overthrown 12 years later in 1944 and General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez became provisional president. From that moment,

444-512: A second round between the two candidates with the most valid votes would be held within one month of the first round. According to the 1983 constitution, the is a part of the executive branch of the Salvadoran government along with the vice president and the cabinet. The president appoints his cabinet ministers, vice ministers, and the governors of El Salvador's 14 departments (the equivalent of states or provinces). The president serves as

555-405: A "containment center". Human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch criticized the arrests, citing instances of arbitrary arrests and abuse by police. Amid April 2020 lockdowns in the country's prisons and published images of prisoners lined up in cramped positions, Human Rights Watch called the prisons' living conditions "inhumane" (particularly in light of the pandemic). On 27 May 2020,

666-462: A "quarantine throughout the national territory" (" cuarentena en todo el territorio nacional "), shortly after World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic . The quarantine suspended all school activities for 21 days, prohibited foreigners from entering the country, and mandated a 30-day quarantine for everyone entering

777-501: A "reordering" (" reordenamiento ") to revitalize the city's historic downtown area and combat crime. On the day Bukele took office, he reverted the names of two streets in San Salvador ( Calle Mayor Roberto D'Aubuisson and Boulevard Coronel José Arturo Castellanos ) to Calle San Antonio Abad and Boulevard Venezuela respectively; both names had been changed by Bukele's predecessor, Norman Quijano . Zamora, who had become

888-522: A "witch" (" bruja "). Bukele did not attend an FMLN ethics tribunal on 7 October 2017, saying that the tribunal was biased in favor of Marchelli. On 10 October 2017, he was expelled from the party after the tribunal determined that he had engaged in "defamatory acts" (" actos difamatorios ") against the party, showed "disrespect" (" irrespeto ") for women's rights and the party's statutes, and made "disqualifying comments" (" comentarios descalificadores ") to party members. Marchelli sued Bukele through

999-411: A 30-day state of emergency on 27 March 2022, formally known as a " state of exception " (" régimen de excepción ") and sometimes known as the " war on gangs ". The state of emergency suspended constitutional rights that included freedom of assembly , freedom of association , the right to privacy in communication , the right to be informed of the reason for arrest , the right to remain silent , and

1110-612: A brief reduction to three years between 1883 and 1886) until the 1939 constitution extended presidential terms to six years. Term lengths were briefly reverted back to four years in 1946 before being extended back to six years in 1950. Since 1962, presidential terms have been five years long. For most of Salvadoran history, either immediate re-election or re-election entirely was prohibited. The 1841 constitution allowed presidents to seek re-election after having left office for at least one full term. The 1864 constitution permitted for an incumbent president to seek re-election immediately, but

1221-475: A businessman. On election day, 3 February 2019, Bukele defeated Calleja, Martínez, and Alvarado with 53.1 percent of the vote. He was the first presidential candidate to be elected since José Napoleón Duarte (1984–1989) who was not a member of ARENA or the FMLN. Bukele's first presidential inauguration was held on 1 June 2019. He became the 81st president of El Salvador as well as the country's youngest president at

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1332-474: A daily homicide registry. Medrano also stated that deaths in custody are not registered as homicides. Bodies found in mass graves and missing persons are also not included in the government's homicide statistics. In July 2024, then former United States president Donald Trump falsely accused Bukele's government of "exporting" criminals to the United States to lower El Salvador's crime rate. In July 2020,

1443-477: A downward trend that began in 2016. According to the Salvadoran government, the country's homicide rate was 38 per 100,000 people in 2019; 19.7 per 100,000 in 2020; 17.6 per 100,000 in 2021; 7.8 per 100,000 in 2022, and 2.4 per 100,000 in 2023 – the second-lowest homicide rate in the Americas , after Canada. Bukele has attributed the decline to his security policies, saying on 4 December 2023 that

1554-466: A firm sentence. On the other hand, the Supreme Court will decide against the executive branch, demonstrating some independence. There is constant battle between the judicial and executive branch over the application of the anti- gang laws. But at the national level, the Supreme Court is criticized for being too dependent on the legislative branch, who is responsible for naming the judges. At

1665-652: A journalist for El Faro , told El País that Bukele made the donation to Honduras to improve his public image in Central America . President of El Salvador The president of the Republic of El Salvador ( Spanish : Presidente de la República de El Salvador ) is the head of state and head of government of El Salvador . The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of El Salvador . The office of president of El Salvador

1776-580: A lawyer, but dropped out to work for the Nölck advertising agency, one of his father's businesses. Nölck campaigned for the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a left-wing Salvadoran political party . Bukele founded marketing company Obermet (also known as 4am Saatchi & Saatchi El Salvador) in 1999, and was its president from 1999 to 2006 and from 2010 to 2012. The company ran political advertising for

1887-524: A member of San Salvador's municipal council, stated that the names were reverted due to flaws in the initial renaming process. He added that another street would be named in honor of Castellanos, who provided fake Salvadoran passports to 40,000 Central European Jews to help them escape the Holocaust ; Bukele renamed 89 Avenida Norte in honor of Castellanos in June 2016. In December 2016, Bukele inaugurated

1998-503: A member of the FMLN to break out of "his comfort zone" (" su zona de confort ") as a businessman. Officially joining the party in 2012, he campaigned for the mayoralty of Nuevo Cuscatlán (a municipality in the department of La Libertad , part of the San Salvador metropolitan area). Bukele's campaign was supported by the Democratic Change party. He was elected mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán on 11 March 2012 with 51.67 percent of

2109-613: A political party registered with the Supreme Electoral Court . Several individuals are explicitly prohibited by constitution from seeking the office of president. Neither the president of the Legislative Assembly nor the president of the Supreme Court of Justice may run for president "during the year prior to the day the presidential term begins". Cabinet ministers, vice ministers, and the directors of government institutions are also prohibited to seek

2220-522: A press conference that the gangs were "going to pay dearly" for the " ambush " against the police. The government began destroying gravestones belonging to deceased gang members in November 2022 to prevent them from becoming "shrines" and Bukele compared the gravestone destructions to denazification in post- World War II Germany. He warned Salvadoran parents to keep their children away from gangs, since they would lead to "prison or death". Shortly after

2331-716: A sixteen-person cabinet composed of eight men and eight women. Bukele's second presidential inauguration was held on 1 June 2024, again at National Palace. During the inauguration, the Armed Forces of El Salvador (FAES) staged a military parade as a show of force and Bukele wore a Napoleonic-cut jacket with gold trim to evoke the image of Venezuelan liberator Simón Bolívar . He described his second inauguration as "the most important moment in our recent history" (" el momento más importante de nuestra historia reciente "). During Bukele's presidential campaign, he promised to bring an end to gang violence in El Salvador; El Salvador

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2442-493: A subsequent investigation by the office of the attorney general (FGR), Bukele allegedly instructed a Twitter user to create the mirror sites. Bukele denied involvement in the creation of the mirror sites. The incident became known as the "Troll Center" case. Five people were charged in relation to the case, but the charges were dropped in December 2017. Bukele sued La Prensa Gráfica for $ 6 million on 4 July 2017, alleging that

2553-460: A truce that Bukele denied making. Cruz believed that the killings were a message from the gangs to the government for more concessions as a part of the secret truce. MESSAGE TO THE GANGS: We have 16,000 "homeboys" in our power. Aside from the 1,000 arrested these days. We seized everything they had, even their mattresses, we've rationed their food, and now they won't see the sun. STOP KILLING NOW or they will pay too. The Legislative Assembly declared

2664-643: A video on Twitter on 24 February 2024 of the transfer of the prison's first 2,000 prisoners, and posted a similar video the following month of the transfer of 2,000 more prisoners. By 11 June 2024, CECOT had at least 14,532 inmates. Liz Throssell, a spokeswoman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights , called the actions of El Salvador's security forces during the gang crackdown an "unnecessary and excessive use of force". Human Rights Watch has stated that there

2775-510: Is Catholic . Bukele's paternal grandparents were Palestinian Christians who immigrated to El Salvador from Jerusalem and Bethlehem in 1921; his maternal grandfather was Greek Orthodox , and his maternal grandmother was Catholic. Bukele completed his secondary education at the Escuela Panamericana in 1999 at age 18. Bukele enrolled at Central American University in San Salvador to study judicial science, aspiring to become

2886-460: Is first in the line of presidential succession according to the constitution of El Salvador. After the vice president, anyone named by the Legislative Assembly as a "designate" (" designado ") succeed the vice president in the line of succession. The Legislative Assembly can appoint up to two designates. The following timeline visualizes the presidencies of El Salvador since 1821. Supreme Court of Justice of El Salvador The Supreme Court

2997-529: Is part of the judicial branch of El Salvador. It is composed of 15 judges and an equal number of substitutes. The magistrates are elected by the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador for nine-year terms, which are reviewed every three years. A two-thirds vote of legislators is necessary. Under the 1983 Constitution of El Salvador , the legislature also designates one judge as the President of

3108-516: The 2024 presidential election and won with 85 percent of the vote, after the Supreme Court reinterpreted the constitution 's ban on consecutive re-election. He became the first Salvadoran president to be re-elected since 1944 . Politicians, activists, and journalists have accused Bukele of authoritarian and autocratic governance. He ordered 40 soldiers into the Legislative Assembly building in February 2020 to intimidate lawmakers into approving

3219-482: The Ad Hoc Commission identified weaknesses in the judiciary and recommended solutions, the most dramatic being the replacement of all the judges on the Supreme Court. This recommendation was fulfilled in 1994 when an entirely new court was elected. One problem the Supreme Court needs to solve is the speed with which the courts resolve criminal cases. In 2000, for example, some 48% of prisoners did not have

3330-548: The El Faro report, the government agreed to grant MS-13 more freedom in prison in exchange for a reduction in homicides it would commit and support for Nuevas Ideas during the 2021 legislative elections. Bukele denied El Faro 's allegations, posting photos on Twitter of gang members rounded up in cramped conditions from an April 2020 prison crackdown. On 8 December 2021, the United States Department of

3441-639: The International Crisis Group (ICG) published an analysis saying that the reason for the decrease in homicides during Bukele's first year in office could have been "quiet, informal understandings" between the government and the gangs. The Salvadoran government denied the ICG's allegations, and the ICG stated that it had no evidence to support the claim. In September 2020, the Salvadoran digital newspaper El Faro accused Bukele's government of conducting secret negotiations with MS-13. According to

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3552-469: The Supreme Court of Justice has interpreted the constitution as allowing immediate re-election once; presidents are only allowed to serve up to two terms. Each 1 June, the president is accountable to the Legislative Assembly for the contributions and government development that the president, the vice president and the Council of Ministers developed from the beginning of the presidential term. In 1824,

3663-432: The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of El Salvador and is in charge of El Salvador's foreign affairs . The president is allowed to submit legislation to the Legislative Assembly for approval. The president is also allowed to veto any legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, but the legislature can override a veto with a two-third majority vote. The president can challenge the constitutionality of law before

3774-465: The "French Bread". He resigned from power in 1863 and Francisco Dueñas became president. It was not until the 1886 constitution of the El Salvador was ratified when the presidential term is increased from two to four years, beginning and ending the presidential terms on 1 March. In 1913, before the death of Manuel Enrique Araujo , a family dynasty would begin. The Meléndez-Quiñonez Dynasty lasted 18 years until Arturo Araujo became president. In 1931,

3885-413: The 1871 constitution restored the requirement of presidents to wait one full term before being eligible for re-election. This restoration was short-lived as the 1872 prohibited re-election entirely. This prohibition on re-election persisted until 1983; the 1983 constitution prohibits individuals from seeking re-election who served as president in the six months "during the period immediately before" or for

3996-487: The 1983 constitution of El Salvador which set presidential terms to 5 years and would begin and end on June 1. The civil war greatly affected the political stability of the country. President José Napoleón Duarte would lead the government against the FMLN from 1984 to 1989. In 1989, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) won the 1989 presidential election . Alfredo Cristiani became

4107-569: The 32nd International Mayors Conference in Jerusalem and prayed at the Western Wall . In January 2016, El Diario de Hoy and La Prensa Gráfica reported that the Búnker digital-programming company had created mirror sites of the newspapers in June 2015 and posted false information in an attempt to damage their reputations; the newspapers described the incident as a cyberattack . In

4218-536: The Americas (after Canada). Bukele passed a law in 2021 that made bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador , and has promoted plans to build Bitcoin City , focused on using geothermal energy to mine bitcoin . In June 2023, the Legislative Assembly approved Bukele's proposals to reduce the number of municipalities from 262 to 44 and the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly from 84 to 60. He ran for re-election in

4329-608: The COVID-19 vaccine per day; the center closed in August 2022, as dose administrations diminished. Most of El Salvador's COVID-19 vaccines were donated by the United States and China. On 13 May 2021, Bukele donated 34,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to seven towns in Honduras after pleas from their mayors for vaccine doses. El Salvador had received 1.9 million doses at the time, and Honduras had only received 59,000. Gabriel Labrador,

4440-716: The Constitutional bench will serve for the period from July 16, 2012 through July 15, 2021, with the exception of Judge Bonilla Flores whose term ends in 2015. Notes: ¹ President of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court; ² President of the respective chambers. On April 21, 1825, the National Congress chose a President of the Central American Republic ( Manuel José Arce ) and also the first Supreme Court. Choosing

4551-473: The Cuscatlán Market to encourage street vendors to relocate their businesses. Many vendors refused to move, despite the market; some accused him of negotiating with gangs to organize its construction, since it was located in gang-controlled territory. In January 2016, Bukele began a "San Salvador 100% Illuminated" campaign to "have a light on every corner of San Salvador" to combat crime in the city;

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4662-517: The FMLN and was elected mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán . Bukele served until his 2015 election as mayor of San Salvador , where he served until 2018. In 2017, Bukele was ousted from the FMLN; he founded Nuevas Ideas shortly afterward and pursued a presidential campaign in 2019 . After the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) refused to register his party, Bukele ran for president with the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) and won with 53 percent of

4773-402: The FMLN had its worst performance since 1994 (the party's first election); it lost six seats in the Legislative Assembly, and 16 municipalities. During the election, Bukele called on his supporters nationwide to spoil their vote or stay home on election day rather than support the FMLN. In February 2019, FMLN presidential communications secretary Roberto Lorenzana stated that Bukele's expulsion

4884-418: The FMLN presidential campaigns of Schafik Hándal in 2004 and Mauricio Funes in 2009 . Bukele was president of Yamaha Motors El Salvador, a company that sells and distributes Yamaha products in the country, from 2009 to 2012. During Bukele's business career, he called himself a "businessman with a great future" (" empresario con gran futuro "). In 2011, Bukele announced that he would enter politics as

4995-503: The FMLN. Bukele tried to associate the two parties with the governments of previous presidents that were marred by corruption, using slogans such as "There's enough money when nobody steals" and "Return what was stolen". His campaign promises included the creation of an international commission to combat corruption, the development of a trans-national railroad and a new airport, job opportunities for Salvadorans, and reduced crime. For Bukele to run for president with Nuevas Ideas, he had to get

5106-424: The Legislative Assembly to approve the loan. He called for his supporters to rally around the Legislative Assembly during the emergency meeting that was scheduled for 9 February. Although Bukele ordered 40 soldiers into the Legislative Assembly's meeting room on the day of the meeting to coerce legislators into approving the loan, a quorum was not reached and the loan was not approved. Opposition politicians described

5217-776: The Legislative Assembly upon request with the exception of military secrets, as well as to address the Legislative Assembly at the start of every calendar year regarding the prior year's government affairs. The Legislative Assembly is able to impeach and remove the president with a two-thirds majority vote. The president cannot ratify international treaties without the approval of the Legislative Assembly. The length of presidential terms has varied throughout Salvadoran history. From 1841 to 1864, presidential terms lasted two years. From 1864 to 1871, presidential terms were extended to last four years. Two year terms were briefly restored from 1871 to 1872 before being reverted back to four year terms. Four-year long presidential terms remained extant (with

5328-610: The My New School project to modernize San Salvador's primary schools. In May 2015, he signed an agreement with Panama City mayor José Blandón to establish a sister city relationship between San Salvador and Panama City. Bukele signed a November 2015 agreement with the Spanish National League of Professional Football to promote sports for San Salvador's youth. In September 2016, Bukele visited Washington, D.C. and met with Mayor Muriel Bowser to discuss

5439-728: The Social Fabric Revitalization Unit to implement the phase. Phase three, known as "modernization", began in August 2019 and called for the improvement of equipment used by the country's security forces; it included issuing new weapons, gear, helicopters, and drones to the security forces. Phase four, known as "incursion", began in July 2021 when the security forces began patrolling areas with a high gang presence that were considered difficult to access. Phase five, known as "extraction", began in November 2022. Security forces were ordered to "surround large cities and extract

5550-680: The Specialized Investigative Court, but sent a letter to the court in October 2018 saying that she would no longer pursue the matter for health reasons. Despite Marchelli's withdrawal, the FGR proceeded with the case; on 29 March 2019, the Specialized Sentencing Court acquitted Bukele. In the 2018 legislative and municipal elections , where Bukele was favored to win re-election before his expulsion,

5661-421: The Supreme Court of Justice's constitutional court and Attorney General Raúl Melara. The justices were replaced by five of Bukele's allies, and Melara was replaced by Rodolfo Delgado . The purge, known in El Salvador as "1M", was described by journalists and opposition politicians as a "self-coup" and a "power grab" and was condemned by the United States. Bukele issued an executive decree on 11 March 2020 imposing

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5772-413: The Supreme Court of Justice, but if the court rules the legislation is constitution, the president is required to sign the legislation into law. The Legislative Assembly exerts some checks on the president's power as provided by the constitution. The president requires the approval of the Legislative Assembly in order to leave El Salvador for any reason. The president is also required to report anything to

5883-531: The Supreme Court. This person is also then the head of the judicial branch and the Constitutional Court . Article 176 of the Constitution establishes the criteria for a Supreme Court judgeship: The Supreme Court is organized into four courts: In 2009, the Legislative Assembly elected Supreme Court judges for the period from July 16, 2009 through July 15, 2018. However, judges sitting on

5994-652: The Treasury accused Bukele's government of secretly negotiating with MS-13 and Barrio 18 to lower the country's homicide rate. The department stated that Bukele's government "provided financial incentives" to both gangs to ensure that they would reduce the country's homicide rate and support Nuevas Ideas in the election held earlier that year (similar to El Faro 's allegations the year before) and sanctioned Osiris Luna Meza (the general director of penal centers and vice-minister of justice) and Social Fabric Revitalization Unit chair Carlos Marroquín Chica for negotiating with

6105-541: The United States donated 250 ventilators to El Salvador. During a press conference where Bukele received the ventilators, he said that he took hydroxychloroquine as prophylaxis and added that "most of the world's leaders use [hydroxychloroquine] as a prophylaxis". Bukele inaugurated the Hospital El Salvador , the largest hospital in Latin America used exclusively for treating cases of COVID-19 at

6216-465: The Venezuelan oil company PDVSA . In August 2014, Bukele announced that he would seek election as mayor of San Salvador in the 2015 elections . His candidacy was confirmed by FMLN secretary-general Medardo González on 19 August of that year. Bukele delegated administration of Nuevo Cuscatlán to council member Michelle Sol on 10 February 2015 to focus on his campaign. During his campaign, that

6327-543: The WHO reported that 11,426,688 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in El Salvador by that date. On 21 March 2020, Bukele imposed a 30-day nationwide lockdown in an effort to combat the pandemic. During the lockdown, 4,236 people were arrested by the National Civil Police for violating the lockdown order; 70 were arrested before the lockdown order became public. The arrestees were quarantined in

6438-620: The age of 37. Bukele held the inauguration ceremony at the National Palace due to its location in Gerardo Barrios Plaza (renovated by Bukele as mayor of San Salvador) instead of in the Blue Room (meeting room) of the Legislative Assembly in an effort to portray himself as focusing his presidency on the people. Bukele's supporters booed and jeered at the Legislative Assembly deputies as they were introduced. He announced

6549-474: The beginning of the Salvadoran Civil War which would rage on from 1979 to 1992. The Revolutionary Government Junta was established and ruled over El Salvador while fighting against the communist guerrilla group Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). The Junta was abolished in 1982 and Álvaro Magaña became President of the Republic. The 1983 Constituent Assembly decided to create

6660-641: The beginning of the crackdown, he tweeted that the government had seized incarcerated gang members' belongings, removed their mattresses, and rationed their food. Bukele also posted a video of prisoners sleeping on floors and complaining about a lack of food and sanitation. He threatened to deprive them of food entirely in April 2022 if the gangs attempted to retaliate against the crackdown, citing rumors about revenge killings. After members of Barrio 18 killed three police officers in Santa Ana in June 2022, Bukele said at

6771-527: The campaign was completed by May of that year. He also installed video-surveillance cameras in parts of San Salvador that were severely affected by crime. Bukele inaugurated the renovated downtown Gerardo Barrios Plaza in October 2017, and the new downtown Lineal Plaza in April 2018. Bukele created a scholarship program, known as the Dalton Project and funded by his salary, for youth in San Salvador to prevent them from joining gangs. Bukele also created

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6882-592: The cost of arbitrary arrest and alleged widespread human rights abuses. On 19 June 2019, Bukele announced that his government would implement a seven-phase security Territorial Control Plan that sought to disrupt gang finances. The plan began that night at midnight. Phase one, known as "preparation", called for members of the country's security forces — the Armed Forces of El Salvador and the National Civil Police (PNC) — to be stationed in 12 of

6993-458: The country's attorney general , describing Martínez as "a gangster, very corrupt, [and] the worst of the worst". The FMLN relented and replaced Martínez, and Bukele later admitted that his threat to leave the party "was a bluff". San Salvador FMLN member Xóchitl Marchelli alleged in September 2017 that Bukele had thrown an apple at her, calling her a "damn traitor" (" maldita traidora ") and

7104-576: The country's 262 municipalities at locations where gangs were known to collect renta . The government also implemented a temporary state of emergency in the country's 28 prisons, putting them on lockdown and banning visitors. Phase two of the plan, known as "opportunity", began in July 2019 and called for the creation of programs and initiatives to prevent youths predisposed to crime from engaging in criminal activity. The programs and initiatives included creating scholarships, building schools and sports centers, and improving healthcare. Bukele established

7215-513: The country's political system. On 15 October 2017, Bukele announced his intention to run for president in 2019 and form a new political party. He announced the establishment of the Nuevas Ideas party on 25 October 2017 on social media, saying that Nuevas Ideas would seek to remove ARENA and the FMLN from power. During his presidential campaign, Bukele and a network of YouTubers , bloggers, and internet trolls attempted to discredit ARENA and

7326-494: The country. Bukele confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in El Salvador on 18 March 2020. The country's first death from the disease was recorded on 31 March. On 5 May 2023, the Pan American Health Organization declared the end of the pandemic. According to the WHO, As of 27 September 2023, El Salvador had 201,807 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 4,230 deaths from the disease by 2 June 2023;

7437-519: The crackdown began, Bukele called for the construction of a new 20,000-inmate prison. He announced the construction in July 2022 of the 40,000-inmate Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca , that would be one of the world's largest prisons. In February 2023, Bukele posted a video on Twitter of him and members of his cabinet touring the prison. It is staffed by 250 police officers and 600 soldiers, and covers 410 acres (170 ha). Bukele posted

7548-569: The crisis as a " self-coup ", and it is known in El Salvador as "9F" or "El   Bukelazo". In the 2021 legislative elections , Nuevas Ideas received a supermajority in the Legislative Assembly. On 1 May 2021, Nuevas Ideas formed a coalition government with GANA, the National Coalition Party (PCN), and the Christian Democratic Party (PDC). That day, the coalition voted to remove the five justices of

7659-480: The cyberattacks. Bukele's relationship with the FMLN began to deteriorate after he became mayor of San Salvador. He clashed with other party members on Twitter, and frequently resisted FMLN party leadership. Bukele was a strong critic of Salvador Sánchez Cerén , the FMLN president of El Salvador who was elected in 2014. He threatened to leave the party in 2015 if the FMLN-led government reappointed Luis Martínez as

7770-508: The deadline because Democratic Change failed to receive over 50,000 votes during the 2015 legislative elections. On 29 July 2018, Bukele registered with the right-wing Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) and received the party's presidential nomination. He selected Félix Ulloa , a lawyer, as his vice-presidential candidate. Bukele used social media such as Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter extensively throughout his campaign to communicate with his supporters. He did not attend either of

7881-401: The department's accusations. From 25 to 27 March 2022, gangs in El Salvador committed 87 homicides; 62 were committed on 26 March alone, the deadliest day in Salvadoran history since the end of the Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992). Florida International University research director José Miguel Cruz attributed the killings to a breakdown in a secret truce between the government and the gangs,

7992-437: The first FMLN presidency. Salvador Sánchez Cerén became the second FMLN president in 2014 after narrowly defeating Norman Quijano . In 2019, Nayib Bukele , from the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA), won the 2019 presidential election ending 10 years of FMLN rule. He was the first president since Duarte to not be a member of either ARENA or FMLN. He was the second president from Palestinian descent, after Saca. He

8103-547: The first president of ARENA. ARENA won the presidential elections in 1989, 1994 , 1999 , and 2004 . Its presidents were Alfredo Cristiani , Armando Calderón Sol , Francisco Flores , and Antonio Saca . The Civil War ended in 1992 and the FMLN became a legal political party in accordance to the Chapultepec Peace Accords . In 20 years of government, El Salvador was characterized by the privatization of national services such as coffee, telecommunications,

8214-692: The gang violence stemmed from income inequality, poverty, poor schools, a lack of job opportunities, and high urbanization. El Salvador's homicide rate peaked at 107 homicides per 100,000 people in 2015. The country's homicide rate had decreased to 38 homicides per 100,000 people by 2019, still one of the world's highest. Gangs controlled parts of El Salvador, and ordered business owners to pay renta ( extortion ) for protection or face violence. In early 2019, there were an estimated 67,000 gang members in El Salvador. During his presidency, Bukele enacted tough-on-crime policies that scholars have characterized as successfully reducing gang activity and violent crime at

8325-467: The gangs. Bukele denied the department's accusations, saying that the United States sought "absolute submission" from El Salvador rather than cooperation. The United States Department of Justice also accused Bukele's government of releasing gang leaders between 2019 and 2021 as a part of the negotiations, including Élmer "El Crook" Canales Rivera who was released in February 2021 despite having an active Interpol arrest warrant against him. Bukele has denied

8436-519: The government against the gangs. In November 2019, Bukele began trying to secure a $ 109 million loan from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration to fund phase three of the Territorial Control Plan. The legislature, that was controlled by ARENA and the FMLN, asked him to give them more time to evaluate the loan. On 6 February 2020, Bukele invoked Article 167 of the country's constitution and called for an emergency meeting of

8547-530: The government had recorded 500 days without a homicide during his presidency. According to Celia Medrano  [ es ] , a human-rights lawyer and former general coordinator of the Commission for the Defense of Human Rights of Central America, it is "impossible" (" imposible ") to verify the Salvadoran government's homicide figures because there is "no public access" (" no hay acceso público ") to

8658-485: The highest incarceration rate in the world. By November 2024, more than 8,000 people had been released after the government determined that they were innocent. According to the Cristosal non-governmental organization, at least 61 people had died in custody by July 2024. A number of opinion polls between May 2022 and June 2023 indicated that 80 to 90 percent of Salvadorans approved of the gang crackdown and measures taken by

8769-460: The homicide rate. After 87 people were killed by gangs over one weekend in March 2022, Bukele initiated a nationwide crackdown on gangs . This resulted in the arrests of over 83,100 people with alleged gang affiliations by October 2024, with over 12,000 incarcerated at the new Terrorism Confinement Center . The country's homicide rate decreased to 2.4 homicides per 100,000 in 2023, the second-lowest in

8880-412: The implementation of urban-development projects. Bukele received the keys to the city of Gaithersburg, Maryland , and 11 September was designated the "Day of Mayor Nayib Bukele" (" Día del alcalde Nayib Bukele "). He visited Taipei in February 2017 and met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to "enhance" the sister-city relationship between San Salvador and Taipei. In February 2018, Bukele attended

8991-437: The last six months "before the beginning of the presidential term". The constitution prohibits presidents from serving three or more terms. The constitution mandates the country's armed forces to intervene in the country's politics if a president seeks illegal re-election. In May 2021, the Legislative Assembly removed and replaced the five justices of the Supreme Court of Justice 's Constitutional Chamber. In September 2021,

9102-593: The legislative body created a constitution to legitimize the nation of El Salvador and also named Juan Lindo provisional president of the Republic of El Salvador on 2 February 1841. It was not until 26 September 1842 Juan José Guzmán was elected by the people as President of El Salvador. From that moment, the republic suffered a constant series of provisional governments that brought many leaders to power. In 1858, Captain General Gerardo Barrios became president in which his government gave entrance to

9213-636: The new justices ruled that constitution in fact permits immediate re-election, arguing that the constitution reads that individual who served as president prior to the incumbent term was actually prohibited from seeking re-election rather than the incumbent president. This interpretation of the constitution was criticized as unconstitutional by lawyers, politicians, and activists. The only six presidents in Salvadoran history have successfully been re-elected: Doroteo Vasconcelos , Francisco Dueñas , Santiago González , Rafael Zaldívar , Maximiliano Hernández Martínez , and Bukele. The vice president of El Salvador

9324-497: The newspaper had defamed and slandered him in its reporting of the cyberattacks by "falsely" (" falsamente ") connecting him to the Troll Center case and "damag[ing] [Bukele's] image" (" dañó la imagen del señor alcalde "). Later that month, a court dismissed Bukele's lawsuit and three other courts rejected his appeals. In December 2018, the FGR stated that it had reviewed information supposedly linking Bukele's cell phone to

9435-468: The party registered with the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE). Although Nuevas Ideas had enough signatures to register, Bukele believed that the TSE would not register the party before the 29 July 2018 presidential nomination deadline. Bukele registered as a member of Democratic Change and sought the party's presidential nomination before the deadline, but the TSE canceled the party's registration four days before

9546-695: The pension system, the National Bank, the Electric Power Service, among others. In 2001, the Economic Dollarization System was carried out in the country, a measure adopted by then President Francisco Flores which would have great long-term consequences for the Salvadoran economy and adopted the US dollar as legal currency. Mauricio Funes won the 2009 presidential election ending 20 years of ARENA rule and marked

9657-417: The presidency once again showed dictatorial instability and military governments began to be established to the point of creating a republic with military authoritarianism which would end in 1982. In 1950, Lieutenant Colonel Óscar Osorio constitutionally became the president of the Republic and a new constitution was drafted where the presidential term would be 6 years and begin and end on 14 September. Osorio

9768-487: The presidency under the same one year restriction, as are the vice president, anyone designated by the Legislative Assembly as a presidential designate , and the incumbent president's fourth-degree relatives. Active military personnel, former military personnel who had not yet been retired for three years, and the clergy are also prohibited from seeking the presidency. During the 1800s and early 1900s, very few presidential elections were free and fair and political violence

9879-538: The president was a simple matter, but the Supreme Court less so. The law mandated that the members of the court be elected by popular vote, and by the Legislative Assembly if no one obtained a majority. Finally, Congress chose the following people for the first Supreme Court: This court began its work on April 25, 1825. Following the end of the Salvadoran Civil War , the Commission on the Truth for El Salvador and

9990-547: The press . Before Bukele's presidency, he considered himself a member of the radical left ; since becoming president, he has not identified with any political ideology, but political analysts have described him as a populist and a conservative . Bukele has high job-approval ratings , and is popular in El Salvador and across Latin America . Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez was born on 24 July 1981 in San Salvador . His father

10101-715: The right to legal representation . The requirement for any arrested individual to see a judge within 72 hours of arrest was also suspended. The military was mobilized in neighborhoods controlled by gangs in an effort to reassert government control, and made large-scale arrests of suspected gang members across the country. In some instances, Bukele ordered security forces to blockade certain municipalities to capture all gang members within them. By October 2024, blockades were implemented twice in Apopa, Cabañas , Comasagua, Nuevo Concepción , San Marcos , southern Chalatenango , and Soyapango . Bukele has threatened incarcerated gang members. At

10212-451: The right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) or the left-wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), of which Bukele had previously been a member. Bukele established an advertising company in 1999 and worked at an advertising company owned by his father, Armando Bukele Kattán ; both companies advertised election campaigns for the FMLN. In 2011, Bukele announced that he would enter politics. The following year, he joined

10323-562: The security situation in El Salvador had become sustainable and that he and his government hoped to end the state of emergency "in the near future". By 5 November 2024, the state of exception had been extended 32 times by the Legislative Assembly. By that same date, over 83,100 suspected gang members had been arrested, 3,319 of whom were minors according to Human Rights Watch. The large-scale arrests increased El Salvador's prison population from 37,190 in 2020 to over 105,000 by December 2023. With 1.7 percent of its population in prison, El Salvador has

10434-479: The site of the former International Center for Fairs and Conventions  [ es ] , on 22 June 2020. The hospital had a capacity of 400 beds, 105 intensive-care units, and 295 intermediate-care units staffed by 240 doctors. In August 2020, the hospital's capacity was increased by 575 beds. It began treating conditions other than COVID-19 by June 2022. In April 2021, Bukele inaugurated a vaccination center at Hospital El Salvador to administer up to 10,000 doses of

10545-526: The state of El Salvador drafted its first constitution which created the office of Head of State, the precursor of the presidency. When El Salvador declared independence from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1841, its new constitution created the office of President of El Salvador. In 1841, El Salvador was constituted as an independent and sovereign nation after the rupture of the Federal Republic of Central America in 1838. At that time,

10656-534: The terrorists [gang members] who [were] hiding within the communities, without giving them the slightest possibility of escape". Phase six (known as "integration") began in September 2023, when Bukele established the National Integration Directory to combat poverty and unemployment. Details about phase seven, that has not yet been implemented, are not publicly known. El Salvador's homicide rate has decreased every year of Bukele's presidency,

10767-526: The two presidential debates, in December 2018 and January 2019 (despite saying that he would attend), claiming that the debate rules were not explained to him. Bukele was the election's front-runner, leading virtually every poll by a substantial margin. His three opponents were ARENA's Carlos Calleja , a businessman who owned the Super Selectos supermarket chain; the FMLN's former minister of foreign affairs Hugo Martínez , and Vamos ' Josué Alvarado,

10878-498: The vote, defeating primary challenger Tomás Rodríguez of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA). Bukele took office on 1 May 2012 as the country's youngest mayor. Bukele created a scholarship program for youths in the municipality, donating his $ 2,000 salary to fund the program. Bukele launched Sphere PM, a project that launched a high-altitude balloon to an altitude of 100,000 feet (30,000 m) and took pictures of El Salvador, on 27 August 2014. He stated that Sphere PM's goal

10989-509: The vote. Bukele implemented the Territorial Control Plan in July 2019, an anti-gang program that sought to reduce the country's 2019 homicide rate of 38 per 100,000 people. Homicides decreased by 50 percent during Bukele's first year in office and he attributed it to the plan. Digital news outlet El Faro and the United States Department of State accused Bukele's government of secretly negotiating with gangs to reduce

11100-472: Was Armando Bukele Kattán , a businessman and industrial chemist of Palestinian origin, and his mother is Olga Marina Ortez. Bukele's father died in 2015. Bukele was the couple's first child. He has three younger brothers ( Karim , Yusef , and Ibrajim ), and has four paternal half sisters and two paternal half brothers. Bukele's father converted from Christianity to Islam in the 1980s, became an imam , and founded four mosques in El Salvador; Bukele's mother

11211-466: Was "mounting evidence" and "credible allegations" that Salvadoran authorities were committing human rights violations such as arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances , false confessions , and deaths in police custody during the gang crackdown. Amnesty International stated the following month that the Salvadoran government has committed "massive human rights violations", including torture , against prisoners. In June 2024, Bukele told Time that

11322-497: Was Edwin Zamora, a businessman and Legislative Assembly deputy from ARENA. Bukele led Zamora in opinion polls before the election. He defeated Zamora with 50.38 percent of the vote on 1 March 2015, and took office on 1 May. Bukele appointed a cousin, Hassan, and his half-brother Yamil to administrative positions on the San Salvador municipal council. The appointments were criticized by ARENA and FMLN politicians. As mayor, Bukele began

11433-469: Was a mistake that cost the party votes. Bukele's popularity as mayor of San Salvador led some journalists to believe that he would run for president in 2019 , but he denied that he would. He eventually expressed interest in running for president with the FMLN, but the party did not even want to consider him as its vice-presidential nominee. He wrote on social media that the FMLN had purged him, and portrayed himself as an independent politician who rejected

11544-434: Was common. During the 1950s, the president was elected through first-past-the-post voting , and during the 1960s and 1970s, the Legislative Assembly elected the president if no candidate received an absolute majority. Since the ratification of the 1983 constitution, a presidential candidate must receive an absolute majority (50%   +   1) to win a presidential election; if no candidate receives an absolute majority,

11655-488: Was considered one of the world's most dangerous countries due to its gang violence. Most of El Salvador's violent crimes were committed by MS-13 and the 18th Street gang (Barrio 18). Although they are the country's largest gangs, both originated in Los Angeles ; the former was formed in the 1980s by Salvadoran refugees fleeing the country's civil war, and the latter was formed in the 1960s by Mexican immigrants. Much of

11766-405: Was created by the 1841 constitution of El Salvador . Nayib Bukele has served as President of El Salvador since 1 June 2019. Since 1962, presidential terms are five years long. The constitution has prohibited presidential re-election for most of Salvadoran history with some exceptions during the mid 1800s. Since 1983, the constitution has permitted non-consecutive re-election once, and since 2021,

11877-468: Was inaugurated on 1 June 2019. According to the 1983 constitution and the Law of Policial Parties, a candidate for the presidency must be at least 30 years old. A candidate must also be either a Salvadoran citizen by birth or have a parent who is a Salvadoran citizen. Candidates cannot have had their rights as a citizen suspended within the 6 years prior to an election, and all candidates must be affiliated with

11988-665: Was known as the president of the social programs since he implemented and founded programs such as the Urban Housing Institute (IVU), the Autonomous Port Executive Commission (CEPA) among others that benefited the nation. In 1960, a coup d'état overthrew President José María Lemus which led to the formation of a Junta of Government which would later be overthrown by the Civic-Military Directory in 1961. This

12099-489: Was supported by the Salvadoran Progressive Party  [ es ] , FMLN party leadership called Bukele the party's "crown jewel" (" joya de la corona "). Bukele's campaign used catchphrases such as "we have to change history" (" tenemos que cambiar la historia ") and "together we will come out ahead" (" juntos saldremos adelante ") to rally support from young voters. His primary opponent

12210-437: Was the case until the constitutional order was reestablished and another constitution was created in 1962 which would bring with it significant presidential reforms. From that moment, the presidential term would last 5 years and begin and end on 1 July. On 15 October 1979, the last coup d'état in Salvadoran history took place where a group of young soldiers and officers overthrew General Carlos Humberto Romero . The coup marked

12321-465: Was to promote education in science and technology to dissuade the municipality's youth from crime. Bukele spoke at United Nations headquarters about projects he had undertaken as mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán as part of the 31 November 2014 World Cities Day . On 21 January 2015, he inaugurated a $ 1.7 million boulevard connecting Nuevo Cuscatlán with Huizúcar and Antiguo Cuscatlán . Bukele did much of his mayoral work with funding from ALBA Petróleos, owned by

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