Voters in El Salvador were expected to re-elect President Nayib Bukele, as the authoritarian leader claimed victory and said his party had won almost all the seats in congress amid severe delays to the release of official results.
Bukele, 42, enjoys one of the highest approval ratings of any world leader thanks to a draconian crackdown on El Salvador’s gangs that has sharply reduced homicide rates by locking up more than 76,000 people.
Bukele held a victory celebration in downtown San Salvador on Sunday evening with fireworks, attended by thousands of cheering supporters, but official results from the vote were delayed by multiple problems at the electoral tribunal.