Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele was born in San Salvador on 24 July, 1981, and came to power in 2019 as the ‘Millennial president’, the youngest in Latin America.

The charismatic and controversial leader transformed the way of governing in El Salvador; since then, the so-called ‘Bukele effect’ brought the country into the international spotlight.

Following the elections last February, Salvadorans renewed their trust in Bukele, who took office again to govern the country for at least the next five years.

With 85 percent of the votes, according to government data, the candidate from the ruling Nuevas Ideas party received overwhelming support compared to Manuel Flores, the FLMN candidate, who came in second.

The ‘Bukele effect’

Bukele became the first president to govern the Central American country for a second consecutive term since the current Constitution was enacted in 1983.

“El Salvador has broken records of all democracies in the history of the world,” Bukele stated after the election results were announced.

In a live audio conversation organized on his X (formerly Twitter) account at the beginning of 2024, he indicated that after focusing on fighting gangs during his first term, his priority in this second term would be to improve the country’s economy.

“I want to see El Salvador as a developed country with a population where basic needs are met,” he said.

The challenges are significant. A report from Moody’s highlights that El Salvador’s credit profile still reflects the need for high financing, as well as a lack of access to international capital markets and a low capacity for debt repayment.

“After we address the most urgent issue, which is security, we will focus entirely on important problems, starting with the economy,” Bukele told the media.

“El Salvador has broken records of all democracies in the history of the world.”

The President of El Salvador also mentioned plans to invest in the housing construction sector, with demand for housing driven by increased tourism and the return of Salvadorans from abroad, largely due to the improved security in the country.

Tourism has begun to favor El Salvador as a destination; the capital’s international airport served about 4.5 million passengers in 2023, which was 32 percent more than in 2022. Last year, El Salvador ranked as fifth in the world of countries with the largest increase in international tourist arrivals (40 percent) compared to 2019, according to the World Tourism Organization.

This more secure environment is favorable for tackling economic challenges, so significant investments are expected.

“In the next five years, expect to see what we are going to do because we will continue to do the impossible; we will keep showing the world the example of El Salvador,” Bukele said when he declared himself the winner of the presidential election on 4 February.

Cleaning up the streets

In recent years, El Salvador has made international headlines for issues and events that few could have imagined occurring in the country. The main reason is the pacification achieved through the famous ‘war on gangs’, which has resulted in a significant reduction in homicides.

From being one of the most violent countries in the world, it has now become one of the safest in the Western Hemisphere. According to government data, 2023 was the safest year in the country’s history.

“I want to see El Salvador as a developed country with a population where basic needs are met.”

This would place El Salvador as the country with the second-lowest homicide rate in the Americas, just below Canada. In Latin America, it places first, with an average of 0.4 homicides per day.

Regarding his ‘war on gangs’ strategy, Bukele has reiterated that he will protect these security achievements, so the period of calm is expected to continue.

Today, most Salvadorans claim to live more peacefully; eight out of 10 believe that El Salvador is safer or do not perceive a climate of fear, according to a study published in January by Francisco Gavidia University.