Latin America · Politics
Key Facts
—2021 court ruling. The Constitutional Chamber reinterpreted a ban on consecutive reelection, allowing one immediate reelection.
—July 2025 reform. The Legislative Assembly abolished term limits, extended the presidential term to six years, and moved elections to 2027.
—2026 party vote. On June 29, 2026, the ruling Nuevas Ideas party cleared Bukele’s precandidacy for the February 2027 election.
—Popularity. Bukele’s approval rating stood at 87.8 percent in late June 2026, driven largely by his gang crackdown.
—Criticism. Constitutional lawyers and Human Rights Watch say the changes dismantle core rule-of-law safeguards.
Bukele can run for a third consecutive term as president of El Salvador, a path opened by a 2021 court ruling and widened by a 2025 constitutional reform that erased term limits altogether.
El Salvador's president leads the country's government and oversees its national policies.
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How Bukele Can Run Again
The legal foundation was laid on September 3, 2021, when the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court ruled that a president could seek one immediate reelection. The constitution had long banned consecutive terms, but the chamber reinterpreted the text to permit a single consecutive run.
Then, on July 31, 2025, the Legislative Assembly passed a sweeping constitutional reform with 57 votes in favor and only 3 against. It abolished presidential term limits entirely, extended the presidential term from five to six years, and moved the next presidential election to February 2027.
The Scale of Bukele’s Popularity
Bukele’s electoral and approval numbers remain extraordinarily high by regional standards. He won reelection in February 2024 with nearly 85 percent of valid votes, a figure that underscored his dominance.
As of late June 2026, his approval rating was reported at 87.8 percent. Much of that support stems from his harsh crackdown on gangs, which has dramatically reduced homicide rates and reshaped daily life across the country.
The Criticism From Lawyers and Rights Groups
Constitutional lawyers, human rights advocates, and democracy watchdogs have sharply rejected both the 2021 ruling and the 2025 reform. They argue the moves gut the constitution’s anti-reelection safeguards, which were designed to prevent the concentration of power.
Human Rights Watch described the July 2025 amendment as the latest step in a broader dismantling of rule-of-law constraints. The Associated Press noted that Bukele’s 2024 reelection had already been highly criticized by scholars as a violation of the ban on consecutive reelection.
What a Third Term Would Mean
A third term would allow Bukele to remain in office beyond the end of his current mandate and, under the 2025 reform, to seek reelection indefinitely. The amendment also shortened his current term to end in 2027, aligning presidential, legislative, and municipal elections.
Future presidential terms will now last six years. The ruling Nuevas Ideas party, which holds a supermajority, formally cleared Bukele’s precandidacy on June 29, 2026, setting the stage for a vote that will test both his enduring appeal and the country’s new institutional framework.
Background: A Constitution Under Pressure
El Salvador’s post-civil-war constitution, enacted in 1983, originally included strict bans on consecutive presidential reelection to prevent the return of strongman rule. The 2021 Constitutional Chamber ruling was the first major crack in that wall, issued by judges installed after the Legislative Assembly removed predecessors in a move critics called a purge.
By 2025, the Nuevas Ideas party had consolidated control over all three branches of government, giving it the supermajority needed to amend the constitution. For foreign investors and expats, this concentration of power raises long-term questions about institutional predictability, even as the security gains under Bukele have made the country feel safer than it has in decades.
What Happens Next for Expats and Investors
The February 2027 election will be the first held under the new six-year term structure, with presidential, legislative, and municipal votes all synchronized for the first time. For expatriates and foreign investors, the alignment of election cycles could mean a period of heightened political noise, but also a clearer legislative roadmap if Bukele’s party retains its supermajority.
While the gang crackdown has boosted business confidence and tourism, international watchdogs warn that eroding judicial independence could affect contract enforcement and regulatory stability over time. Readers considering property purchases or long-term investments should monitor whether the 2027 vote triggers new US or European Union policy reviews that could shift the bilateral landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Bukele get around El Salvador’s term limits?
A 2021 Constitutional Chamber ruling allowed one immediate reelection, and a July 2025 constitutional reform abolished term limits entirely, opening the door to indefinite reelection.
When is the next presidential election in El Salvador?
The next presidential election is scheduled for February 2027, after the 2025 reform moved the date and aligned it with legislative and municipal votes for the first time.
Why does Bukele remain so popular?
His approval rating sits near 88 percent, driven largely by a sweeping gang crackdown that has sharply reduced violent crime and reshaped daily life across the country, though rights groups have raised concerns about mass detentions and due process.