Name? Nayib Bukele
Westphalian identity? Salvadorean
Age? 38
Why are they in the news? El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has a history of using violent threats to get his legislature to do what he wants. He has sent armed police into the Salvadoran Constitutional Chamber, undermined the judicial branch, and even shut down the legislature via Tweet. Bukele’s latest jab at the balances of power was his defiance of the Chamber’s decision to allow Salvadoreans to ignore coronavirus lockdown measures. Bukele tweeted that he will not allow “five people to decide the death” of the Salvadoran people.
Why do we care? Bukele is the latest world leader to ride the wave of support for total authority due to the coronavirus. 80% of Salvadoreans approve of his handling of the pandemic, giving Bukele and his party a platform to take the majority in the legislature in the next cycle. Speculations that he will try to eliminate presidential term limits have emerged.
Why should you care? The coronavirus is not a political movement, it’s a pandemic. Nonetheless, it is being politicized and leaders like Bukele have garnered the support of their constituents to act however they please as long as it appears to be in the interest of public health. This is an emerging trend across the world. Orban, Bolsonaro, and now Bukele. It seems like democracy can catch viruses, too.
Who else cares? Other Central American nations might use Bukele as an example. Guatemala, Honduras, and other surrounding nations might find themselves looking to handle the coronavirus similarly, unfortunately, departing from democratic practices as well.
Any further comments? El Salvador’s democratic structures and traditions have not been established long enough to withstand their democratically erroneous leader. Nayib Bukele is supported by many for his effective yet aggressive coronavirus prevention measures. However, should he continue to challenge the other branches of government, he could become Latin America’s newest and youngest dictator.
