Bukele has responded to critics with derision, even changing his Twitter bio to “Dictator of El Salvador.” He leaves just enough doubt to say, “I was only joking.” But it’s not a joke.
Taking advantage of the demonstrations that flared across Latin America at the end of 2019, outside actors worked to push legitimate social protest to violent extremes as a part of a deliberate destabilization strategy.
Salvadorans voted for a populist maverick as their next president. But low voter turnout and a lack of friends in Congress promise to weaken the mandate of the president-elect.
Nayib Bukele, a former FMLN member now running as a third-party candidate, is expected to win the first round on February 3rd. The question now is whether or not he will amass sufficient support to avoid a runoff on March 10th.
Widespread discontent with corruption-plagued traditional parties might result in a historical win for Nayib Bukele, a former FMLN member who is now running on a third-party platform.
El Salvador’s change will likely contribute to the sense of urgency of the remaining states that recognize Taiwan to follow the Salvadoran example and close a deal with the PRC before the opportunities for negotiating compensation for doing so dry up.
