Bukele claims victory in El Salvador's presidential election

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Feb 2024 08:55

Results from electoral officials are pending, and as of now, there has been no official statement on the outcome.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s photo during the Central American and Caribbean Games ceremony in San Salvadore’s Gonzalez stadium, on June 23, 2023. (AP)

Incumbent President Nayib Bukele confidently proclaimed victory in El Salvador's national elections on Sunday, asserting that he garnered over 85% of the vote, despite the absence of any official results from electoral authorities.

Bukele, widely expected to secure another five-year term, received strong support from voters who, despite concerns about potential democratic challenges, appreciated "his robust efforts in combating gangs and enhancing security in the Central American nation."

At 42 years old, Bukele announced that his New Ideas party had secured a minimum of 58 seats in El Salvador's 60-member legislative assembly. He based this claim on unspecified information to which he had access.

"A record in the entire democratic history of the world," Bukele said in a post on X. "See you at 9pm in front of the National Palace."

Results from electoral officials are pending, and as of now, there has been no official statement on the outcome. The polls closed at 5 pm (2300 GMT), approximately two hours before Bukele declared his victory. An exit poll conducted by CID Gallup indicated that Bukele's support stood at 87%.

Bukele is on the verge of making history as the first Salvadoran president in nearly a century to secure re-election. If his claims hold true, he will reportedly gain unprecedented authority, potentially enabling him to undertake significant constitutional changes.

Critics are concerned that this might include the removal of term limits. Bukele has centered his campaign around the success of his security approach, wherein civil liberties were temporarily suspended to apprehend over 75,000 Salvadorans without formal charges. Some claim that this initiative resulted in a substantial reduction in nationwide murder rates.

However, certain analysts argue that the prolonged mass incarceration of 1% of the population is not a sustainable strategy in the long run. Earlier, Bukele, expressing confidence, addressed the media in a press conference, emphasizing the importance of garnering maximum support for his party to sustain its anti-gang efforts and continue the transformative process in El Salvador.

"So, if we have already overcome our cancer, with metastases that were the gangs, now we only have to recover and be the person we always wanted to be," said Bukele. "I believe El Salvador, after half a century of suffering now it is our time to move forward."

According to pre-election polls, the candidates from FMLN and ARENA, the two parties that jointly held power until 2019, registered single-digit support. This reflected voter dissatisfaction stemming from decades of traditional politics characterized by violence and corruption.

Dive deeper

A confrontational political figure, Bukele, known for engaging in social media disputes with foreign leaders and critics, assumed office in 2019 after defeating traditional political parties.

His pledge to eradicate gang violence and revitalize a stagnant economy resonated with voters. Leveraging his New Ideas party's substantial majority in the legislative assembly, he has actively reshaped courts and institutions, consolidating control over crucial aspects of the government.

Bukele also advocated for the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender, a move criticized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Despite constitutional prohibitions, El Salvador's Supreme Electoral Tribunal permitted him to seek a second term.

Concerns among opponents have risen, speculating that Bukele might aim for prolonged rule. When queried by reporters on Sunday about potential constitutional reforms for indefinite re-election, Bukele indicated skepticism but refrained from directly addressing whether he would pursue a third term.

'The world's coolest dictator'

Mexico's Foreign Minister, Alicia Barcena, extended congratulations to Bukele for his victory, even though official results are yet to be announced. The Chinese Embassy in San Salvador also acknowledged Bukele and his party's "historic victory in these elections" on X.

Despite concerns from rights groups about the state of El Salvador's democracy, Bukele has downplayed such worries, even humorously referring to himself as the "world's coolest dictator" on X at one point.

Upon official re-election, Bukele's primary challenge is expected to be the economy, which has been the slowest-growing in Central America during his tenure. With over a quarter of Salvadorans living in poverty, addressing economic issues will likely be a significant focus for his administration.

Under Bukele's leadership, extreme poverty has experienced a twofold increase, and private investment has seen a significant decline. Despite the considerable attention garnered by his ambitious proposal for Bitcoin City, a tax-free cryptocurrency hub fueled by geothermal energy from a volcano, progress on this initiative has been limited. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), currently in talks for a $1.3 billion bailout with El Salvador, characterized the country's fiscal condition as "fragile" in late 2023.

Is Bukele on the right side of history?

At the beginning of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele expressed steadfast solidarity with "Israel".

Elsewhere in his remarks, Bukele drew a parallel between the Palestinian Resistance and Salvadoran gangs, against whom his government has initiated "a declared war."

In this context, it is worth noting that "Israel" has so far killed 27,365 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Several victims are still under the rubble and on the roads due to the occupation preventing ambulance and civil defense crews from reaching them.