The first presidential term of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador

On June 1, 2024, Nayib Bukele commenced hissecond term as president of El Salvador. His sudden rise and radical reordering of the post-1992 establishment of the small, densely populated Central American republic baffled many analysts. It is important to highlight his achievements and attempt a definition of his project of rebuilding the Salvadoran state.

His core goal is apparently building and stabilizing a new national coalition that redefines political sides, the established rules and power balances of parliamentarian democracy established since the end of the Civil War, all while asserting a global and regional role by projecting a special soft power, presenting his handling of internal security as a model to be emulated.

In this two-part series, I will examine Bukele’s attempts to build a national and international coalition to support his efforts in nation-building. In this first part, I will attempt to explain the antecedents of his presidential term in Salvadoran history, his political development, and the course and success of its anti-gang campaign, focusing on the effects on his regime's internal and external support.