Nayib Bukele, the right-wing president of El Salvador, has decisively won his reelection. His criticism of the Biden regime and support for President Trump has put him in the sights of the US State Department.
While originally known for his strong support for Bitcoin, Bukele’s popularity rose when he initiated all out war against MS-13 gangs. Government troops destroyed any gang symbols and locked up almost all members in the country. Reuters says:
President Nayib Bukele on Sunday declared himself winner of El Salvador’s national elections in a landslide, claiming he captured more than 85% of the vote – even though electoral officials have not released any results.
Bukele was the heavy favorite to win another five-year term as voters largely cast aside concerns about erosion of democracy to reward him for a fierce gang crackdown that improved security in the Central American country.
El Salvador used to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world, due to rampant gang violence led by the MS-13 most famously. Fox News explains:
El Salvador’s traditional parties from the left and right that created the vacuum Bukele first filled in 2019 remain in shambles. Presidential candidates for the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) are polling in the low single digits.
While his administration is accused of committing widespread human rights abuses, violence has also plummeted, in a country known just a few years ago as one of the most dangerous in the world.
Bukele’s stunning reelection could herald the return of right-wing leaders in Latin America. His youth, only 42, also shows that a new generation can think of novel solutions to solve real problems regardless of Washington liberals’ opinion.
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