Bukele alters Constitution to endorse life imprisonment in El Salvador El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly, controlled by the ruling party Nuevas Ideas (NI), approved a constitutional reform on Tuesday that permits life sentences for individuals convicted of murder, rape, and terrorism. The measure, introduced by President Nayib Bukele, was passed by 59 pro-government deputies, their allies, and two opposition members without prior debate or study. The reform modifies Article 27 of the Constitution, which previously prohibited life imprisonment, to allow it only for the specified crimes. Bukele announced the reform following the release of a report by international legal experts accusing his government of committing crimes against humanity during the state of emergency that has been in place since 2022. The president had previously warned that the reform would face opposition, stating, “We’ll see who supports this reform and who dares to defend the Constitution’s continued prohibition against murderers and rapists remaining in prison.” The revised Article 27 now explicitly states that life imprisonment shall only be imposed on murderers, rapists, and terrorists, while prohibiting other forms of indefinite detention, including imprisonment for debt or torture. This contradicts the current constitutional framework, which limits prison terms to a maximum of 60 years. However, in December 2025, the Attorney General’s Office secured sentences of up to 1,000 years for gang members, a move that has drawn criticism from legal experts. Justice and Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro defended the reform during a press conference, accusing human rights organizations of hypocrisy. He claimed that these groups had previously championed victims’ rights only to later label law enforcement officers as perpetrators.#el_salvador #nayib_bukele #nuevas_ideas #gustavo_villatoro #state_of_emergency
