The leaders of El Salvador and Mexico are popular. Their supporters are conflating that with the strength of democracy in their countries.
El Salvador
Of Latin America’s six presidential elections scheduled for 2024, the incumbent party is currently favored in four. Rather than a clear break in the region’s anti-incumbent trend, however, this year’s elections will be exceptions that prove the rule. Three of them offer examples of the challenges that democracy faces in the hemisphere.
The leaders of El Salvador’s two main opposition parties are reportedly discussing a plan advanced by civil society groups to field a single presidential candidate in the country’s 2024 election. It may be the only chance they have to unseat authoritarian President Nayib Bukele, but even then, the task will prove daunting.
