Congress approved the elimination of public financing of political parties, repealing article 210 of the Constitution, in which the “political debt” (“deuda política”) financing mechanism was enshrined. The mechanism aimed to promote the independence of political parties, by allocating public resources based on the valid votes each party received in elections. Performance in previous elections determined the resources each party received as an advance for their campaigns, with the final amount they were entitled to being based on valid votes received in each election (and an obligation to repay funding if their electoral performance fell below previous levels). Proponents of ending this system argue the need to address corruption and inefficiency in political parties. Critics consider that it will result in more power for the ruling party, making the political system inaccessible to opposition and new political parties. They further note that parties will be more vulnerable to influence from illicit sources or wealthy donors.

Sources: Asamblea Legislativa (1), Asamblea Legislativa (2), Coyuntura, El Salvador.com, Latin American Post, Associated Press

The Legislative Assembly passed a new anti-corruption law, establishing a National Anti-corruption Integrated System. Public institutions, including ministries and the Attorney General’s Office (AG), will participate in the new system. The law further creates a National Anticorruption Center, assigned to the AG, to carry out monitoring and intelligence activities. The law, which covers the activities of public officials and governmental institutions, mandates the disclosure of assets and liabilities by civil servants and their immediate families, in addition to income declarations. Congress also increased penalties and prison sentences for corruption-related offenses, such as embezzlement. The law will enter into force in August 2025 (180 days after it received Presidential assent and was published in the Official Journal). Critics question the effectiveness of the new legal and institutional framework, absent comprehensive policies to ensure transparency and access to public information.

Sources: Asamblea Legislativa, DW, Associated Press, Prensa Latina

Children and adolescents convicted of or in pre-trial detention for crimes committed in “organized crime modality” will be remanded to adult penitentiaries, following changes to the Juvenile Criminal Law. Although separate wards for children under 18 years of age, and for those between 18 and 21 years will be established, they will be located in adult penitentiaries and administered by the Directorate General of Penal Centers. A joint statement by the UN’s Children’s Fund, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Population Fund, expressed concern for the measure, which contravenes international standards and obligations, and will deprive juvenile offenders of specialized support and opportunities for rehabilitation. Other organizations point to the prevalence of human rights abuses in adult prisons, which further imperil the ability of minors to rehabilitate, in a context where children as young as 12 years can be sentenced to a minimum of 10 years imprisonment for gang-related crimes.

Sources: Asamblea Legislativa,  UNICEF, El País

After the Salvadorean general elections of 4 February, on 29 April the outgoing (lame duck) Legislative Assembly dominated by the ruling party, Nuevas Ideas (NI) approved a modification to Article 248 of the Constitution. It must be ratified by the incoming legislature, which was sworn in on 2 May, to enter into force, and will establish a new way to amend a constitutional provision.  

Previously, amendments required a simple majority approval by a sitting legislature and a subsequent ratification from two-thirds of the incoming legislature. The Article's revised text will add that constitutional amendments may be ratified by a three fourths majority within one legislature.  

This decision has been criticized as an attempt to diminish what few checks on the executive power are left, enabling the incoming legislature to expedite amendments proposed by the President (54 out of 60 incoming Assembly members belong to NI). The amendment overly empowers short-term legislative majorities, undermining the longer-term effectiveness of the institution. Opposition members have rejected this process because of how it was rushed without prior discussion or analysis.  

Update: Congress ratified the change to the procedure for approval of constitutional amendments on 29 January 2025.

Sources: El Faro, Infobae, Amnesty International, El Pais, DW, Voz de América

On 4 February, Nayib Bukele was re-elected as president by 84.6 per cent of cast votes. This is more than ten times the number of votes won by the second-place candidate.  The Tribunal Supremo Electoral carried out a recount of 30 per cent of presidential ballots and all legislative votes, due to significant glitches in its results reporting software and website. Voter turnout was 52.6 per cent.  

Bukele ran for a second term thanks to a 2021 Supreme Court decision that bypassed a constitutional prohibition on consecutive re-election.  

His party, Nuevas Ideas, will obtain almost total control of the National Assembly (54 out of 60 congress members).  

OAS observers highlighted that elections took place in peaceful conditions, although in the context of a nearly two year old “state of exception” that was said to have impacted free speech and competition. Also noted were technological, logistical and training shortcomings, which contributed to a significant delay in the transmission of results. 

Compared to the last legislative elections, the number of women candidates increased from 36 to 39 per cent. Out of the other five presidential candidates only one, Ana Marina Murillo, is a woman. 

Note: This report was updated on 18 March for accuracy and comprehensiveness. 

Sources: El Faro, Tribunal Supremo Electoral, Organization of American States, The New York Times, El Pais (1) , Washington Post, El Pais (2), France 24, IFES 

President Nayib Bukele’s government has imposed a military siege on the department of Cabañas, one of El Salvador’s 14 administrative regions. According to Bukele’s statements on social media, the objective of the operation, which involves 7,000 military and 1,000 police officers, is to prevent gang members from fleeing and to cut their supply lines. Even though the government has carried out similar operations in towns and cities since it first declared a state of emergency in March 2022, it is the first time this kind of operation is implemented in an entire administrative region, which has a population of around 150,000 people.  

Sources: El Pais, Al Jazeera