El Salvador sets 2027 presidential election as Nayib Bukele seeks third term
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El Salvador will hold presidential elections on February 28, 2027, the electoral tribunal said Wednesday, opening the way for President Nayib Bukele to seek a third term after constitutional changes removed presidential term limits. Bukele has drawn praise for sharply reducing gang violence but faced criticism over rights abuses during his crackdown.
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele speaks during a meeting with more than 30,000 students at a stadium in San Salvador on August 23, 2026. © Marvin Recinos, AFP
El Salvador will hold presidential elections on February 28, 2027, the electoral tribunal said Wednesday, paving the way for President Nayib Bukele to seek a third term.
El Salvador last year amended its constitution to abolish presidential term limits and allow Bukele, who has been in power since 2019, to seek re-election indefinitely.
The 45-year-old is a hero to many in his homeland and across Latin America for cracking down hard on gangs .
Under a state of exception he declared in 2022, and which is still in effect, around 92,000 people, mostly young men, have been arrested and held, many without charge.
To clear the legal backlog, the courts have begun holding mass trials .
Bukele's offensive has reduced crime to historic lows but at the expense, NGOs say, of widespread human rights abuses, including torture , that could constitute crimes against humanity .
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