Bukele registers as pre-candidate for third consecutive term in El Salvador

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele formally registered Sunday as the ruling New Ideas party's presidential pre-candidate, launching his bid for a third consecutive term in the country's February 2027 general election.

The registration was confirmed by New Ideas party President Xavi Zablah Bukele, the president's cousin and secretary general of the party, who announced the filing on social media with the message "estamos listos" (we are ready). The party's National Electoral Commission formally received Bukele's application, according to officials.

Bukele will run alongside Vice President Félix Ulloa, who also registered as a pre-candidate for the same office. The two have formed the presidential ticket for New Ideas since the 2019 elections. Both submitted signed registration documents as part of the party's internal process to define the candidacies that will compete in the upcoming elections.

Bukele, who first assumed office in 2019, is currently serving his second term. His candidacy for a third consecutive term became possible after allies in Congress, which his political movement controls, modified the Constitution to permit indefinite reelection.

The president has not publicly commented on his registration. New Ideas, the governing party that Bukele leads, controls the National Assembly.