The leaders of El Salvador’s two main opposition parties are reportedly discussing a plan advanced by civil society groups to field a single presidential candidate in the country’s 2024 election. It may be the only chance they have to unseat authoritarian President Nayib Bukele, but even then, the task will prove daunting.
When Nayib Bukele was elected president of El Salvador four years ago, many observers hoped it might signal the start of a new era for the country, one characterized by accountability for the military and the defense of human rights. It’s hard to imagine how those hopes could have been more bitterly disappointed.
El Salvador’s controversial president, Nayib Bukele, has clearly captured Latin America’s imagination. Polls show that his image is quite favorable among the region’s general public, and some politicians are now trying to cash in on his popularity, offering approaches that play off of Bukele’s war against El Salvador’s gangs.
