Global Courant
Since its origins, the Central American nations have hit their heads over and over again with the same sharp stone: the caudillismo, those figures that dazzle the population with a mixture of well-sounding speech, usually demagogic and supposedly apolitical; they also undertake crusades that generate a favorable perception, although they are not always framed within the law and do not say a state ethic. In an emergency, they divert attention gimmickily by focusing public aversion on other problems and juxtaposed “enemies”.
This is how dictatorships have arisen, often prolonged through reelection, in various forms. This possibility is usually vetoed by law —that’s what History lessons are for—, until a figurehead on duty turns the norm around to run again, because apparently there is “no one” who can surpass his performance, an idea underlying that already in itself generates doubts even about the composition of intelligence of their own party or group of relatives, who end up being coryphaeos, not to say groups of sycophants.
The campaign is usual to direct blame, frustration or expectations towards certain sectors, including opponents, the press, business groups, human rights defenders and sectors of the population. In the United States, for example, it is common to blame migrants for many ills at election time. Wars and polarizations are also created that become breeding grounds in which the ideal “leader”, apparently irreplaceable, is obvious. That is where the weakness of those quasi-spotic systems that sell the idea of dependency on a person becomes apparent, when in reality institutional strengthening should be encouraged.
The personification of gangs as a public enemy is the most obvious, since in effect they are highly dangerous criminal groups, but not the only ones. There are drug traffickers, copycat extortionists, human traffickers, speculators and even those close to the ruling party who abuse their powers or ties. Several unimaginative Guatemalan politicians promote themselves by offering to imitate Bukele, who has jailed gang members and thereby reduced crime rates. But the problem is still there as long as integral development is not promoted.
The 2021 legislative elections gave a majority to the Salvadoran ruling party, to which other blocks joined. The alliance served to force the retirement of uncomfortable magistrates and with this the Judiciary became favorable to endorsing the re-election, which was not allowed by a previous ruling. In 2022, Bukele announced that he will run for a second term.
Intolerant of the critical press and accusations of human rights abuses, Bukele hides behind security and technology to justify abuses. After four years in power, at the gates of the next electoral campaign, he announces a war on corruption. According to Transparency International, El Salvador is ranked 116 out of 180 countries evaluated. Why tackle so far a problem that also kills, steals and delays development? No one is saying anything about the cost of the state’s counterproductive investment in bitcoin or about the five officials the US indicted for corruption in 2021, including the chief of staff. But in case the population tries to focus on this issue, there are additional controversies, such as the proposal to reduce the number of municipalities and mayors or the reduction of Congress and also a decrease in popular representation and potential opposition if citizens exercised the vote. crossed in 2024.
Caudillismos always stumble upon their egos
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