Bukele’s El Salvador: Popularity, power, and the price of security

Nayib Bukele came to power in El Salvador in 2019, winning outright in the first round of presidential elections. Since then, he has steadily consolidated his control. Bukele’s party has dominated the National Assembly since 2021. In 2022, he declared a state of emergency, which remains in effect to this day. He also pressured the Supreme Court to allow him to run for a second term – previously prohibited by the Constitution. Despite concerns over his human rights record, Bukele enjoys overwhelming popularity, with polls showing over 80 percent approval. Since the start of the state of emergency, more than 400 inmates have died in jail. This year, he began constructing a new mega-prison to house hundreds of illegal migrants deported by the United States and labelled terrorists. Six years into his presidency, FRANCE 24 takes a look at the Bukele phenomenon. Laurence Cuvillier and Matthieu Comin report.