The power of Bukele

The President of the Republic of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, at a press conference last Sunday at a hotel in San Salvador.STANLEY ESTRADA / AFP

The overwhelming victory of Nayib Bukele in the legislative elections of El Salvador has left the key to the institutions in the hands of the president and his party, New Ideas.

The margin of victory is unprecedented since the end of the war and the arrival of democracy in the Central American country, almost thirty years ago.

The president will control the Assembly through his formation, which won two-thirds of the seats, and will not need to negotiate with his adversaries.

If the last phase of the scrutiny confirms these data, Bukele will be able to unilaterally make decisions such as the appointment of the attorney general or renew a third part of the Supreme Court.

Salvadorans opted to expand the power of the president and give him virtually unchecked autonomy.

His will was expressed within democratic channels and deserves respect, but the results are at the same time a symptom of a worrying horizon.

In the first place, there was a collapse of the traditional parties, from the left of the Farabundo Martí Front to the right of the Republican National Alliance.

The vote represents a punishment to the

formations

, perceived as responsible for the high levels of inequality and corruption in the country.

Discontent already brought Bukele to power in 2019. Since then, the 39-year-old politician has grown in popularity by flagging down his heavy hand against gangs.

It has turned the style of Government into a telecracy, executing orders and dismissals from social networks.

His strategy to fight gangs and crime has reduced the statistics, but has cost him criticism from international organizations for the defense of human rights.

Added to these signs is the fact that the president's political project lacks antecedents in the country, which makes it difficult to forecast his next steps.

The truth is that from now on it will hardly have counterpowers in the institutions and this circumstance forces it to act with greater responsibility and adherence to the rules of the game of a democracy.

Harassment of critical media reflects, for example, very worrying behavior.

But perhaps the main fear of the opposition after Sunday's elections is the launch of a Constituent Assembly to try to extend its mandate, which is set at five years.

In short, the ballot box has confirmed Bukele's drive and his formation, and it is in his hands to show if he is a mature enough leader to manage so much power without falling into an authoritarian drift.