El Salvador's President Bukele secures ruling party nomination for third term

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – El Salvador's ruling Nuevas Ideas party has nominated President Nayib Bukele as its candidate for the 2027 presidential election, paving the way for him to seek a third term following constitutional changes.

The party announced the nomination after Bukele, a former publicist, ran unopposed in its primary election. Vice President Felix Ulloa was also nominated to seek another term alongside Bukele in the general election scheduled for February.

In July 2025, lawmakers allied with the ruling party approved constitutional amendments removing previous restrictions on presidential re-election and allowing presidents to seek unlimited terms, including a new six-year mandate.

Bukele, 44, continues to enjoy strong public approval, largely driven by his government's state of emergency and anti-crime crackdown launched in 2022.

In the February election, Bukele is expected to face a candidate from the left-wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), the party from which he was expelled in 2017.