Bukele sweeps presidential and congressional elections

CENTRAL AMERICA - In Brief 05 Feb 2024 by Fernando Naranjo

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by Félix Delgado and Fernando Naranjo According to official figures of the Supreme Electoral Court with 70.25% of electoral records processed, Bukele got 1,662,313 million votes, while the second place Manuel Flores from FMLN only 139,000 votes. Bukele announced his victory with more than 85% of total votes in a late speech in front of the National Palace before a multitude. He also mentioned the expectation of winning Congress seats with a huge majority of 58 out of 60 deputies. No official figures have been disclosed yet. He said that the country made history again with a single party in a plain democratic system. Bukele’s win was not surprising, because most electoral polls anticipated it, although the almost absolute supremacy of New Ideas and the enthronement of a single party was not expected. He virtually swept the two traditional groups of ARENA and the FMLN. In his victory speech, Bukele harshly criticized the press and the international organizations that have censored the country’s strategy against crime and violence, assuring that Salvadorans overwhelmingly confirmed in the polls their support to the governmental decisions.