On Thursday, March 6, 2025, the elimination of Article 210 of El Salvador’s Constitution officially takes effect, ending the right of political parties to receive public financing known as “deuda política” (political debt).
The Legislative Assembly approved the constitutional reform agreement on February 12, ratified it on February 26, and published the decree in the Diario Oficial the same day. The reform becomes effective eight days after publication, in accordance with the decree.
This marks the first use of the fast-track constitutional reform mechanism, introduced in January 2025, which allows the same legislative body to both approve and ratify constitutional changes without waiting for new elections. The mechanism was finalized on January 29, 2025, through a controversial reform of Article 248 of the Constitution, previously considered unalterable by various legal experts and civil society organizations.
Over the past decade, political debt provided political parties with $75.6 million in public funds, alongside $84.7 million from private donations. The abolition of this financing is seen as a significant shift in El Salvador’s political landscape.