Overview
- President Nayib Bukele formally filed with the ruling Nuevas Ideas party as a pre-candidate on June 29, 2026, and party documents show Vice President Félix Ulloa filed alongside him.
- Both men are set to appear on the party’s July 12 primary but are widely expected to face no serious challengers in the internal selection process.
- Allies in the Legislative Assembly approved the July 2025 constitutional amendment that shortened Bukele’s current term, extended future terms to six years, and authorized indefinite presidential re-election.
- Bukele’s sustained high approval ratings are tied to a state of emergency in place since 2022 and a sharp fall in homicides that his government credits to its security policies.
- International organizations and domestic opposition warn the legal changes weaken checks and balances, and observers say the next milestones to watch are the July party primary and the February 2027 general election.