Nayib Bukele declares victory in El Salvador vote ahead of expected landslide

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - President Nayib Bukele has claimed victory in El Salvador's presidential reelection with 85% of the vote, saying his win is a “record in the entire democratic history of the world."

"According to our numbers we have won the presidential election with more than 85 percent of votes," he said on X, calling on his followers to gather in the central square to celebrate his win.

Initial results on Monday revealed he secured at least 83% of the popular vote, with 70% of the votes counted so far.

Bukele, 42, has become the first president to govern the Central American country for a second consecutive term since the current Constitution, which prohibits immediate reelection, was enacted in 1983. His candidacy was made possible when the Supreme Court allowed him to bypass the constitutional ban.

The president was always expected to lead the race against Manuel Flores, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) candidate who stood far behind the current leader throughout the campaign.

“All opposition was pulverized. El Salvador this day has made history again,” he said from the balcony of the National Palace in El Salvador. “The Salvadoran people spoke, they said they wanted to continue the path we are on.”

Under Bukele, more than 75,000 people have been arrested under a state of emergency instituted in 2022 after a gang massacre that killed 87 people in a single weekend. The crackdown on criminal gangs has fueled his popularity.

“We went from being the most insecure country in the world to the safest country in the entire Western Hemisphere,” said Bukele.

Human rights groups have accused Bukele's administration of committing widespread human rights abuses. They say that thousands of people have been arbitrarily arrested during his anti-gang drive.

“The Salvadoran people spoke and not only loud and clear, but they spoke in the most forceful way in the entire history of democracy in the entire world. If that doesn't convince you, journalists, gentlemen from NGOs, international organizations, the UN, the OAS. If that doesn't convince you, nothing will convince you,” Bukele said in his speech.

His Nuevas Ideas Party is also expected to win 58 of the 60 seats in the legislative assembly.