Hurricane Bukele hits Latin America. There are hardly any precedents for this The leader of a country as small as El Salvador becomes a regional referenceBut the Salvadoran president’s success in fighting crime has skyrocketed his popularity not only in his country but in most countries in Spanish-speaking America.
Nayib Bukele, 42 years old, is seeking a new term as president of El Salvador. Be Criticism-proof winning image and pressure, as well as the fact that he has changed the pulse of powerful Salvadoran gangs, have made him the current Latin American politician and the object of admiration for many in a region stricken by the scourge of crime, corruption and the impression of incompetence of traditional politics is tired.
As the Latinobarómetro 2023 revealed, Bukele is the most popular Latin American governorwith 90% approval among Salvadorans, which, barring a major surprise, ensures him a comfortable victory in this Sunday’s elections.
It doesn’t matter if he runs for re-election and when Your country’s constitution does not allow this. Even the criticism from human rights organizations that highlighted his excesses could not harm him. Bukele declared a state of emergency El Salvador is accused of overcrowding prisoners at the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), the gigantic prison it built in the municipality of Tecoluca, detaining thousands of people who were later released. But none of this has slowed his rise in the polls.
Bukele’s authoritarian model is gaining support among more and more Latin Americans. “Democracy has not given people answers. When it comes to security, Latin Americans like authoritarian narratives“says Ana María Méndez of the Washington Bureau of Latin American Affairs.
His reputation has spread to other countries in the region to such an extent that the expression “a Bukele is needed here” has become common in some of them and other politicians in the region are more or less trying to follow his example.
In Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa launched an offensive against the powerful criminal groups that have brought the country’s institutions to their knees, such as the “The Choneros” either “The Tiguerones”. The young Ecuadorian president decreed the existence of one “internal armed conflict” and deployed the army in the “fight against terrorism” and control of Ecuadorian prisons, which have become impregnable fiefdoms from which criminal bosses operate and enforce their laws.
Noboa also tries to replicate Bukele in aesthetics and clothing. In his official messages, he shows off the leather jacket with emblems, the dark glasses and even the wet hairstyle that the controversial Salvadoran leader has made almost a brand image.
In Peruwhere the population also perceives an increase in insecurity related to the increase in drug trafficking, Dina Boluarte’s government is trying to project an image of stability with extraordinary measures such as the declaration of a state of emergency in various parts of the country. According to the polls, Boluarte is not having much success, but other political figures in the country are trying to portray themselves as Peruvian supporters of the Bukele model, such as: Antauro Humala, a convicted coup plotter who is trying to articulate a presidential bid on a promise to crack down on crime and introduce the death penalty against criminals and corrupt politicians. He Mayor of Lima and reference to Peruvian law, Rafael Lopez AliagaHe suggested Apply some of Bukele’s star moves around the city curb uncertainty.
Even the left Gabriel Boric in ChileAlthough he is far from endorsing the style or decisions of his Salvadoran counterpart, he has made insecurity a priority for his government amid growing public concerns about rising crime.
But will Bukele’s honeymoon with Salvadoran and Latino voters last forever? Marta Lagos, director of Latinobarómetro, believes that the results of their fight against gangs are a guarantee the electoral support of his “authoritarian-populist” modelbut warns that the Bukele model “will collapse if popular expectations go beyond security” as poverty and inequality persist.
The economy according to the experts’ predictions Bukele’s big future challenge and the decisions it has taken in this matter do not invite too much optimism. His dramatic announcement that El Salvador would be the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as an official currency had dubious results. Although official opacity prevents its impact from being assessed, the cryptocurrency remains only marginally used in El Salvador.
The cessation of violence has made it possible to revive an economy in which private initiative and all enterprises were shackled by the constant extortion of the gangs, but the structural reforms that the Salvadoran economy needs, and the unconditional elimination of corruption in public administration There are outstanding issues that Bukele must overcome.