The upcoming elections in El Salvador may completely change the political field in the country. For nearly three decades there had been frustration with the government, and this frustration led to Bukele being elected president in 2019. Throughout his campaign and presidency, he has promised to control criminal activity in El Salvador, and now this year he has promised to turn his efforts to controlling the pandemic and its effects. The biggest issue is that the legislative assembly is an obstacle for all of Bukele’s endeavors. With these elections, the people of El Salvador have the opportunity to vote for a new legislature that can put Bukele’s ideas into action.
A big fear of citizen’s and the opposing party is that it may turn into an authoritarian government. With the results of these elections, Bukele’s party could control the Legislative Assembly and special cabinet appointments. El Salvador has had rampant violence, including a 30 year civil war that ended in 1992. Bukele’s main promise has been to control the levels of crime, but his delivery has been limited because of the opposition that has control over the assembly. The elections will help change the representation of the government according to what the citizens of El Salvador want. Maybe with these elections, Bukele will be able to deliver what he has been promising since he was first elected.
From a constructivist perspective, Bukele wants to have his party have more control over government decisions. Part of the constructivist theory states that things get done because people have things in common and even have a shared identity. With more people in the government with a common perspective and goal as him, they’ll be able to do more to push the party’s agenda.