dpa
Mexico City
Voters were called to the polls in El Salvador in parliamentary and presidential elections on Sunday, with President Nayib Bukele expected to cruise to a safe re-election.
Opinion polls indicate that the 42-year-old Bukele is likely to be returned to office with a large majority.
His successful but controversial crackdown on criminal gangs that had terrorized the Central American country for decades was seen as key to his expected electoral success. As crime has fallen, Bukele’s popularity has soared.
But critics warn of an increasingly authoritarian turn taken by the former mayor of the capital San Salvador, who has been president since 2019.
They point to undemocratic policies, such as the restriction of civil rights, arbitrary arrests and the erosion of the separation of powers. Bukele, a former advertising executive, often makes fun of his critics and at times has described himself as the “World’s Coolest Dictator” in his profile on X, formerly Twitter.
The people of El Salvador, the smallest Central American country, have been living under a state of emergency for almost two years. A number of basic rights such as freedom of assembly are restricted.
More than 75,000 suspected gang members have since been arrested, most only on suspicion and without access to lawyers.
