President Nayib Bukele won by a landslide in the El Salvador elections on Sunday, as voters put aside concerns about the erosion of democracy and rewarded him for his tough stance on gangs, which has greatly enhanced security in the Central American nation.
In a bustling plaza, thousands of Salvadorans gathered in front of the National Palace wearing flags, t-shirts, and caps in the distinctive sky-blue hue of Bukele’s New Ideas (NI) party. Voters celebrated his new presidential term with a grand spectacle, a fitting display from the former publicist, featuring a breathtaking aerial performance with numerous blue-lit acrobatic drones forming the letter “N.”
When the digital tallying by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal ceased late on Sunday, the 42-year-old former mayor of San Salvador had garnered an impressive 83% of the vote, establishing a substantial lead over his closest rival, who secured a mere 7% and represented the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front. The electoral website responsible for updating the count experienced technical difficulties shortly before midnight.