El Salvador had its national elections on Sunday, Feb 4th. The Great Nayib Bukele (“boo-kelly”) won a second term. Small wonder, as according to a variety of pollsters, his approval ratings have been in the 90s throughout his first 5 year term. In other words, his people Love him! (Biden’s ratings range between 30% and 40%.)
In something like California’s system, the winning candidate has to get a majority of the vote or the election will go to a runoff in March, but that won't be necessary because Bukele won by a landslide. Official count not in yet, but could be over 80%.
Internet Voting was used for Salvadorans living outside the country. There are around 800,000 registered to vote abroad (about 6M in country). Most of them live in the US, especially in California and Texas. For those who had not registered to vote online, there were about a dozen voting centers set up in several US cities. For the Los Angeles area, three voting centers were set up. Every one of them had long lines of folks who were happy to vote. If you have Z (formerly Twitter) you can see vids. Go to this page and scroll down to Feb 4th posts, https://twitter.com/WilliamJKelleh1
Unlike the highly decentralized election administration of the USA, in El Salvador elections are conducted by a single agency with independence from the government; the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of El Salvador. (In Canada, “Elections Canada” is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering Canadian federal elections and referendums.) The El Salvador agency is widely regarded as honest and transparent. To facilitate participation, same day registration was provided at the voting centers.
One reason why I say “the Great” Bukele is that he has accomplished an AMAZING Humanitarian Achievement. In just 5 years he has Liberated the Salvadorian people from the terror, oppression, and exploitation wrought upon them by violent gangs. For decades these gangs, funded by selling illegal drugs and extorting local businesses, operated with impunity. Through bribery and intimidation, these gangs “owned” the government.
The government consisted of two major political parties, ARENA and the FMLN (see Ref below). In 2019, Bukele, who had been the mayor of San Salvador, campaigned on the promise to rid the people of this scourge. He had to start a third party because the two majors were in cahoots with the gangs, and they wouldn’t allow him to run in their name.
In a free and fair election he won his first term by 54% of the vote in the first round of voting.
El Salvador once had one of the highest murder rates in the world. Now, its murder rate is lower than that in the United States. Bukele has worked diligently to clean all the corruption out of the legislature and judiciary. Of course, he has had to overcome resistance. While there are still pockets of corruption, the people love him because he has delivered on his promises.
His political enemies, many funded by Columbian Drug Lords, are experts at disseminating propaganda designed to make Bukele appear as a ruthless dictator. For instance, they say his re-election is unconstitutional. Not true. In 2021, the country’s Supreme Court (now free of corrupt judges) ruled that one of the articles in the Constitution allows the president, who serves a five-year term, to run for reelection once.
Phony “human rights advocates,” as well as gullible idealists, accuse the Bukele administration of violating human rights, and the due process of law. But they conveniently disregard the full context.
Gang members are known by the tattoos all over their neck and face. El Salvador law allows the use of the military for emergencies within the country. Thus, Bukele used the uncorrupted parts of the military to sweep the streets of gang members and put them behind bars until they can prove their innocence. His administration built a new prison to hold 40,000 prisoners. Its now full.
As a result of these actions, children can walk to school without fear of being taken and forced to join a gang, or to sell dope, or to prostitute themselves. Families can go to the park, or a movie without fear. Business owners can keep their profits.
As the voting turnout shows, many Salvadorians feel that the HUGE improvement in the quality of life made by Bukele's firm governing easily justifies the technical breaches of those philosophical ideals. This is why Bukele has a 90%+ approval rating, and why he was awarded a second term by his people. He is the most popular president in El Salvador’s history. Time magazine listed him as one of the most influential people of 2021.
Nevertheless, in February 2021, Bukele and his family
visited the United States, and asked to meet with President Joe Biden, but
Biden refused to meet Bukele.
Bukele is of Spanish Arab descent. His father was a Christian who later converted to Islam.
His maternal grandfather is a Sephardic Jew. His wife is a practicing Christian. He doesn’t identify with any organized religion, but says he believes in some kind of god.
Pic from: Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayib_Bukele
References
RE: Bukele’s
popularity:
https://elsalvadorinfo.net/nayib-bukele-approval-rate/ and Time, https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2021/6096024/nayib-bukele/
RE: Biden’s
snub:
RE: current elections, see the article in The Fresno Bee, by
María G. Ortiz-Briones at,
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article284686536.html
The Politics of
El Salvador
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_El_Salvador
Bukele’s Third Party – Nuevas Ideas (New Ideas)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuevas_Ideas
Crime in El Salvador
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_El_Salvador
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