El Salvador votes in presidential election that the ‘world’s coolest dictator’ has clear path to win

By MEGAN JANETSKY and MARCOS ALEMÁN
Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Salvadorans have voted in presidential and legislative elections that are largely about the tradeoff between security and democracy. With soaring approval ratings and virtually no competition, Nayib Bukele was almost certainly headed for a second term as president Sunday. Despite El Salvador’s constitution prohibiting reelection, about eight in 10 voters support Bukele, according to a January poll from the University of Central America. That’s despite Bukele taking steps throughout his first term that lawyers and critics say chip away at the country’s system of checks and balances.