Overview

• Legislators aligned with President Nayib Bukele ratified amendments on July 31 that abolish term limits, extend the presidential term to six years, eliminate run-off ballots and set the next election for June 2027 to unify presidential, legislative and municipal votes.
• The package passed in a single session without debate during national celebrations, drawing accusations of procedural illegitimacy and absence of popular consultation.
• Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas denounced the approval as an illegitimate “inconsulta” process and urged lawmakers to consult Salvadorans before enacting constitutional changes.
• President Bukele defended the overhaul on X by citing that 90 percent of developed countries allow unlimited head-of-government terms and dismissed international criticism.
• The U.S. Department of State characterized the Assembly as democratically elected in reaffirming El Salvador’s sovereignty over its constitutional process while human rights organizations caution that power consolidation risks deeper authoritarianism under a permanent state of exception with over 85,000 detentions without due process.