‘Millennial dictator' opens door to ruling forever

Telegraph

a day ago

Fireworks erupted in the main square of the capital San Salvador, as lawmakers ratified the reform in a second late-night plenary session. 'Thank you for making history, colleagues,' said Assembly President Ernesto Castro of Bukele's party.
Bukele enjoys enormous support at home for his heavy-handed campaign against criminal gangs, which has reduced violence in the country to historic lows.
However, he has also drawn sharp criticism from international rights groups. The reforms came shortly after a wave of arrests targeting human rights defenders and government critics, prompting dozens of journalists and humanitarian workers to flee the country.
A close ally of Donald Trump, Bukele's international image has been dented by his handling of detainees.
His government held 252 Venezuelans for four months in a mega-prison he built for gang members. Many later alleged torture and abuse.
Emboldened by its relationship with Trump, the Bukele administration detained human rights defenders in May and June, including prominent lawyer Ruth Lopez, who had denounced alleged cases of government corruption.
'Democracy has died'
Under the ongoing emergency regime, roughly 88,000 people have been arrested on gang-related charges. Rights groups say thousands were detained arbitrarily, and more than 400 have died in custody.
Bukele's 2024 re-election had already sparked concern, with critics arguing it violated the constitution and was enabled by a ruling by loyalist judges.
Ruling party lawmaker Ana Figueroa, who introduced the reform, said Salvadorans 'can now decide how long to support their president'.
However opposition lawmaker Marcela Villatoro denounced the move.
'Today, democracy has died in El Salvador,' she said, criticising the reforms' approval just as the country enters a week-long vacation. 'They've taken off the masks... They're shameless.'
Juanita Goebertus, Human Rights Watch's Americas director, said El Salvador is 'following Venezuela's path'.
'It begins with a leader who uses his popularity to concentrate power, and ends in a dictatorship,' she wrote on social media.
Miguel Montenegro of the nongovernmental Human Rights Commission said the reforms 'completely dismantle what little democracy remained'.
In a speech marking the first year of his second term, Bukele said he does not care if people call him a dictator, brushing off international criticism over the arrest of humanitarian activists.