Nayib Bukele Elected President of El Salvador

Nayib Bukele was elected President of El Salvador on February 3 in a landslide victory with almost 54 percent of the vote. Affiliated with neither the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) party nor the rightist Arena party, Bukele’s election symbolizes a strong desire for change. His campaign capitalized on that desire, frequently condemning the corruption and political disunity that has plagued the country in recent years. At only 37 years old, Bukele is the youngest president-elect El Salvador’s history. His success has been attributed to effective social media use and an understanding of millennial voters.

Bukele has significant political experience due to his former position as mayor of Brazil's capital, San Salvador. However, some of his major plans, such as those to implement public works to build infrastructure and create jobs, have been criticized for being too expensive and unrealistic. This was a critique his opponent Carlos Calleja faced as well. During the campaign Calleja promised to create 300,000 new jobs without much explanation as to where the funding might come from. Bukele asserts the money will come from his crackdown on corruption. Politicians have been caught stealing millions in public funds over the years.

Bukele met with the U.S. ambassador on February 7. The two exchanged pleasantries and the ambassador congratulated Bukele on the success of his campaign. “El Salvador will work to strengthen the relationship with our our natural and most important ally,” said the president-elect regarding the meeting.

As a member of the party Nuevas Ideas (New Ideas), Bukele’s efforts are ambitious and focus on changing the direction of the country. Although some see his election as the end of bipartisanship, Bukele still has much to deliver on.