No to dictatorship in El Salvador (Spanish and Portuguese versions)

The members of the Central Americanist Articulation or Isthmus and CLACSO Working Group “The Central American Isthmus: Peripheral Epistemological Perspectives” We express our strong rejection of the expedited constitutional reform signed on July 31, 2025, by 57 members of the Nuevas Ideas party (out of a total of 60 legislators) in El Salvador. This reform allows Nayib Bukele to be re-elected indefinitely as president of the country.

The measure is a continuation of the growing erosion of Salvadoran democracy. Publicist Nayib Bukele capitalized on the Salvadoran population's repudiation and disappointment with two decades of rule by the two main post-war parties: ARENA and the FMLN. With skillful manipulation of his own image and social media, and an impassioned anti-corruption discourse against "the same old faces," he seized executive power in 2019.

In February 2020, he shocked the public by entering the Legislative Assembly accompanied by the Armed Forces to force the approval of an international loan in a country already burdened by chronic debt. This gesture demonstrated his complete disregard for democratic norms, his alliance with the Armed Forces, and his endorsement of his country's painful recent history, marked by authoritarianism, state terrorism, and civil war. Throughout his presidency, Bukele has denied that El Salvador was at war during the internal armed conflict between 1970 and 1992, insisting instead that it was a struggle between two "elite factions."

The “cool” president, through shady alliances and pacts with gang leaders, managed to drive the maras (gangs) off the streets of the country. His success in this endeavor, in which his predecessors failed, has made him a hero to a population whose social fabric was shattered after the armed conflict and which continues, even today, to be plagued by poverty and extreme poverty. According to ECLAC data (2025 report), El Salvador has a multidimensional poverty rate of 56.4%.

The prisons are the symbol of the country project promoted by Bukele. El Salvador has the highest number of prisoners per capita in the world. Horrid images show the inhumane treatment prisoners receive in a regime that incarcerates indiscriminately and openly disregards rights and basic constitutional guarantees.

Human rights organizations denounce the sinister exchange between “security” and democracy, on which Bukele's regime is based.

We join all the voices that have been denouncing, for years, and continue to do so, the accelerated loss of civil rights in El Salvador.

We demand the immediate release of lawyer Ruth López, environmentalist Alejandro Enríquez, evangelical pastor José Ángel Pérez, lawyer Enrique Anaya and all people and organizations unjustly detained, persecuted, harassed and exiled under the exceptional regime of Bukele's regime.

We condemn the persecution of dissent and critical voices led by a president who, revealing his true identity and intentions, declared that he "doesn't care if they call him a dictator."

We hold the Nuevas Ideas party and its representatives responsible for the constitutional manipulation, the arbitrary actions, and the legitimacy they are attempting to grant to Nayib Bukele's dictatorship. Far from legislating for the people, they are obsequious and sycophantic, incapable of upholding democracy and the rule of law in the country.

El Salvador is marked by a tragic and bloody political history. From this history emerged, following the signing of the Peace Accords in 1992, a precarious democratic system that is now being dismantled by this dictatorship.

Down with indefinite re-election and the unconstitutional reform in El Salvador!

Down with Bukele's dictatorship!

August 5th, 2025
CLACSO Working Group
Statement of The Isthmus and the Working Group
The Central American isthmus: peripheral epistemological perspectives

No à ditadura in El Salvador

Nós, membros da Central Americanist Articulation or Isthmus and his CLACSO Working Group "The Central American Isthmus: Peripheral Epistemological Perspectives"We express our strong objection to the express constitutional reform approved on July 31, 2025 by 57 representatives (out of a total of 60 legislators) of the New Ideas party in El Salvador. This reform authorizes Nayib Bukele to seek reelection for an indefinite period as president of the country.

This measure gives continuity to the growing erosion of Salvadoran democracy. Nayib Bukele's publicity is supposed to capitalize on the repudiation of the disappointment of the Salvadoran population with two decades of government by two main post-war parties: ARENA and FMLN. With a skillful gesture of his own image and social media, and an aggressive anti-corruption rhetoric, denouncing "the same thing as always", the assumption of executive power in 2019.

In February 2020, public opinion was scandalized by entering the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly accompanied by the Armed Forces of the country to force the approval of an international loan for a deeply compromised State. The gesture was indicative of his total disregard for the democratic norms of coexistence, as indicated by his alliance with the Armed Forces and his negligence in the painful recent history of his country, marked by authoritarianism, state terrorism and civil war. A long year into his mandate, Bukele denied that El Salvador was at war during the armed conflict.
internal between 1970 and 1992, insisting that it was a “contention between two leaders.”

Through alliances and dark pacts with gang leaders, the "cool" president managed to remove the streets of the country. His success was a task, in which his predecessors failed, he was the hero of a population whose social fabric was destroyed by armed conflict that continues, even now, devastated by poverty and misery. According to ECLAC data (2025 report), El Salvador presents an incidence of multidimensional poverty of 56,4%.

The prisoners are the symbol of the national project promoted by Bukele. El Salvador is the country with the highest per capita number of incarcerated people in the entire world. Atrocious images show the human treatment that prisoners receive, on a large scale, from a regime that blatantly ignores rights and minimum constitutional guarantees. Human rights organizations reported or incident
exchange between security and democracy, on which bukelism is based.

We listen to all the voices that denounce, for years, and continue to denounce,
accelerated loss of civil rights in El Salvador.

We demand the immediate release of lawyer Ruth López, environmentalist Alejandro Enríquez, evangelical pastor José Ángel Pérez, lawyer Enrique Anaya and all the people and organizations unjustly detained, persecuted, besieged and exiled under Bukele's regime of exception.

We condemn the persecution of dissidents and critical voices led by a president who, unmasking his true identity and intentions, declared that "it does not matter to anyone who is a dictator."

We hold the New Ideas party and its representatives responsible for the constitutional manipulation, for the arbitrariness and for the legitimacy that we seek to grant to the dictatorship of Nayib Bukele. Long to legislate for the people, only subservient and poor, incapable of importing democracy in the State of Direito in the country.

El Salvador is marked by a tragic and bloody political history. After the signing of the Peace Agreements in 1992, a precarious democratic institutionality emerged, which is being undermined by this dictatorship.

Down with indefinite reelection and unconstitutional reform in El Salvador!

Down under Bukele's control!

This text expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Groups and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.