El Salvador’s Congress clears hurdle to speed constitutional reforms
Associated Press6 days
El Salvador Ratifies Amendment to Speed Constitutional Reforms
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Above: Salvadoran Pres. Nayib Bukele speaks during a press conference at the Presidential House in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Jan. 14, 2025. Image copyright: Juan Carlos/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Facts
El Salvador's Congress ratified in a 57-3 vote on Wednesday a constitutional reform that further expedites the constitutional reform process, which was first approved last April by the previous legislature.
This comes as Pres. Nayib Bukele's Nuevas Ideas party won a supermajority of 54 out of 60 seats in the unicameral Congress last year, and the president himself won a second term by a landslide.
Under the amendment, constitutional reforms — which once had to be approved by a majority in one legislature and ratified in the next chamber following elections — can pass in a single legislature if they secure a three-quarters approval.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This unconstitutional constitutional amendment has bypassed parliamentary procedures, Supreme Court rulings, and constitutional requirements to further consolidate the authoritarian regime of Nayib Bukele. In the Salvadoran nearly single-party system, opens the door for express changes at the will of his Nuevas Ideas party.
Establishment-critical narrative
This amendment represents a decisive step towards the elimination of political debt — the use of taxpayers' money to finance political party — in El Salvador, as Bukele and his Nuevas Ideas promised to the nation. It's great news that public funds will now be used more efficiently.
