El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has responded to a group of Democratic lawmakers who raised concerns about human rights violations and democratic backsliding in the country ahead of the upcoming elections.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, along with other legislators, expressed significant concerns about the apparent decline in democratic values and an increase in reports of human rights violations in El Salvador. The letter, sent on Tuesday, urged the Secretary to send a clear message to the Salvadoran government on the importance of respecting constitutional and democratic norms both publicly and privately.
The lawmakers pointedly noted their concerns about what they termed as a «democratic setback» and a surge in human rights abuses in El Salvador. They emphasized the urgency of these concerns, particularly with the upcoming elections, where President Nayib Bukele is seeking a constitutionally questionable second term.
President Bukele, who became aware of the letter shared on social media by Representative Omar, took to the platform to respond. In a tweet, he stated, «We are HONORED to receive your attacks, just days before OUR election. I would be very worried if we had your support.»
In another tweet, Bukele criticized the U.S. Democrats, stating, «The United States should have free and fair elections.»
The Congressional members accused Bukele of implementing a legal framework for a State of Exception in March 2022, leading to tens of thousands of arrests without due process. They also alleged that Bukele oversaw the militarized harassment of the country’s legislature, undermining judicial independence.
As the election approaches, the lawmakers asserted that Bukele’s actions have constrained multi-party democracy and extended to the issuance of arrest warrants for political opponents, such as the former Salvadoran ambassador to the U.S., Rubén Zamora.
In September 2023, Representative Omar met with Karina Sosa, a member of the Central American Parliament from El Salvador. Their discussion on the political and human rights situation in El Salvador reflected a biased perspective favoring the interests of the Salvadoran political opposition, particularly the leftist FMLN party, to which Karina Sosa belongs.