President Nayib Bukele has formally requested the support of the Legislative Assembly for a constitutional reform that would grant Salvadorans living abroad direct representation. This initiative aims to provide the diaspora with dedicated seats in Congress, allowing them to have a direct influence on the nation’s political trajectory for the first time in history.
Under the proposed change, the diaspora will no longer have their votes automatically assigned to the department of San Salvador. Instead, they will elect deputies specifically chosen to represent their unique interests, ensuring they have both a voice and a vote in the decisions that define the country’s future direction.
The scale of this reform is significant, considering there are more than 3 million Salvadorans residing outside the country. Data indicates that over 950,000 citizens are already registered with foreign addresses, a community that Bukele argues now deserves «structural recognition through specific legislative representation.»
The reform is designed to be proportional, establishing seats based on the actual weight of the diaspora within the electoral registry. This ensures a balanced distribution of power while creating a concrete space within the Assembly for those who contribute to the nation from afar.
This move signals a new era in the relationship between El Salvador and its global community. It acknowledges that the nation’s history is not limited to its physical borders, but is also shaped by the daily efforts of those who «continue to be Salvadorans from any part of the world.»