MADRID, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
21 former heads of state and government from Latin America and Spain have signed a letter declaring the recent announcement of their candidacy for the re-election of the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, as “an alteration of the constitutional order” that “seriously” affects democracy Salvadoran.
Among the signatories, all members of the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA), are some former leaders such as the former Argentine president Mauricio Macri, the Mexican Vicente Fox, the Spanish José María Aznar, or the Uruguayan Julio María Sanguinetti.
The former presidents have urged the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, to carry out an “urgent analysis” of the issue, having the necessary resources, to “promote the normalization of democratic institutions” in El Savior.
The signatories justify their request in article 88 of the Constitution of El Salvador, which enshrines the principle of “alterability in the exercise of the Presidency of the Republic”, proclaimed by the Declaration of Santiago de Chile adopted by the member countries of the OAS in 1959.
Such an article of the Salvadoran Magna Carta also indicates as a constitutional mandate, at the same time, “the lack of knowledge of the president,
who, having completed his term, intends to continue in office”, while prohibiting re-election to people who have performed the role of president for more than six months.
However, the IDEA endorses the resolution of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights following a similar request from the Government of Colombia –which asked regarding the possibility of establishing re-election in the country–.
“In a representative democracy it is necessary that the exercise of power be subject to rules, set in advance and previously known by all citizens,” the court’s resolution stated, according to the IDEA.
“To that extent, the democratic process requires certain rules that limit the power of the majority expressed at the polls to protect minorities. Therefore, the rules of access to the exercise of power cannot be modified without any limit by those who are temporarily exercising political power,” he added.
The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, announced last week that he will opt for re-election for the next presidential elections, which will take place in 2024.
Despite the fact that it is only possible to govern once in the country, Bukele maintained that he managed to reverse a Supreme Court ruling in 2014 that precisely prohibited presidential re-election, which is why he announced his candidacy.
