El Salvador’s President Bukele Is Riding a Rare Wave

At a time when many Latin American leaders are pariahs, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is a puzzle. Aged 38, the former one-term mayor of the capital San Salvador handily won the presidency in February, besting contenders from the two parties that have owned politics for the last three decades. His own party, Nuevas Ideas, is so new, it has no seats in congress. And yet, six months on, Bukele has this nation of 6.5 million people in thrall, his opponents off balance and international leaders on speed dial.

Bukele commands 88% approval ratings, down a notch from his 93% approval in September. A polished communicator, he capitalized on a nation disenchanted with crony politics as usual: El Salvador’s political parties are among the least trusted on the institutional approval index of Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Public Opinion Project. His enviable ratings also owe to his marketing acumen. “Bukele styled himself as an avenger for a new generation, with no ideological bent but fed up with an elite from Jurassic Park,” said Salvadoran economist Alberto Arene. Upon taking office, he fired off executive orders via Twitter, directing his new cabinet members to deep-six officials whose appointments he attributed to nepotism. The refreshing style plays well at home and beyond. He drew applause by snapping a selfie to kick off his address to the United Nations General Assembly in September.