"Coolest dictator" Bukele consolidates his power as critics move in

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador is something of a mystery. Although he once called himself the "coolest dictator", supposedly as a joke, he is now moving dangerously close to just that. 

Last week, he abolished term limits in a bid to extend his presidency. He also extended presidential terms to six years, moved the time of the next elections up by two years, and introduced constitutional changes eliminating run-off elections.

Most Salvadorians, though, are just fine with that. You see, Bukele's radical policies over the last ten years or so have been highly successful in eradicating El Salvador's major scourge: gang violence. Moving from the one-time murder capital of the world to one of the world's safest countries, Bukele's no-nonsense crackdown on gangs has been life-changing for Salvadorians. Homicides fell from several thousand a year to just over 100, making it (on paper at least) safer than Canada. For the first time in decades, their children can safely play on the streets, and businesses can ply their trades without threats of extortion. 

Bukele's popularity is still soaring, and the economy is humming along, even if in a rather lacklustre fashion. He has struggled to improve the economy compared to neighbours like Costa Rica, Guatemala and Nicaragua, and he has borrowed heavily from the country's pension fund to make ends meet.

But what has really given Salvadorians pause is the way in which Bukele has achieved his minor miracles. As I wrote a couple of years ago, with a flourish, he has swept away what few checks and balances El Salvador had, presided over widespread abuses in the country's draconian prison system, ended a popular ban on metal mining, evicted dozens of family farms with no explanation, and made huge mass arrests with little or no judicial overview. 

His tactics have raised alarms among human rights groups, and he has also  involved himself in various suspect projects from embracing cryptocurrencies to imprisoning deportees for Donald Trump, with whom Bukele is often adduced to be carrying on quite a bromance. Critics are also calling for more economic growth, basic social programs, and help with rising costs, to go with his security changes. There has been a spate of public protests this year, and a high-profile petition led by the country's Catholic bishops, almost unheard of until recently. Some worry that El Salvador under Bukele will go the way of Venezuela or Cuba.

There are even allegations (with some evidence) that Bukele agreed some sort of pact with gang leaders to lower the murder rate (or at least to give the appearance of that), and that he has had critics arrested for trumped-up money-laundering charges.

So, Bukele's path is not completely clear. But, for now at least, Salvadorians are willing to give him a few more years to consolidate his gains (and theirs). The problem is, he has just cemented in his rule, possibly for good, and democracy in the country has taken a serious hit.