To those familiar with the autocrat’s playbook, Nayib Bukele’s latest move was not surprising. On July 31st El Salvador’s legislative assembly, dominated by his New Ideas party, voted to remove presidential term limits from the constitution. Mr Bukele is now able to seek re-election indefinitely. Aged just 44, he could rule El Salvador’s 6.3m people for decades. That a leader who is admired so widely across Latin America has cemented his place as a dictator bodes ill for democracy in the region.
