President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has created constitutional rumblings from his desire to seek a second term next year, given the country’s constitution prohibiting consecutive terms.

Bukele’s party, Nuevas Ideas, nominated him as its candidate for the 2024 presidential race, even though Salvadoran law requires the current president to ask Congress for a leave of absence by the end of the year. Given the fact that Congress is controlled by Bukele’s opposition, there is very little hope that leave will be granted.

The incumbent president enjoys an 80 per cent approval rating, a number unheard of in a country like El Salvador, known for its sporadic political strife, with Bukele’s popularity being attributed to his brutal crackdown on drug gangs. The local media say several communities that have suffered from endemic violence due to the drug war favour the current president in the polls.

The 41-year-old president has jailed more than 60,000 people for being linked to drug gangs. The strategy has garnered harsh criticism from human rights organisations but those criticisms have fallen mostly on deaf ears as crime rates fall, especially in San Salvador, the country’s capital.

Nearshore Americas reports that Bukele’s crackdown lead to the building of several large prisons and the arrest anyone suspected of gang connections. They say it also lead to the reformation of the National Civil Police, which under the new strategy performs far more professionally.

However, it remains to be seen whether Bukele will be able to overcome the constitutional challenges to his candidacy and win a second term. His popularity and the decrease in crime rates, nevertheless, suggest that he is a strong contender.

Salvadorans will vote next February to elect a president and vice president for the 2024-2029 term and legislators until 2027.