Marcela Villatoro, a representative of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena) party, holds up a sign a plenary session in the Blue Room of the Legislative Assembly in San Salvador, El Salvador, 31 July 2025. Representatives from the ruling Nuevas Ideas (NI) party, formed by President Nayib Bukele and the majority party in the Legislative Assembly, proposed a constitutional amendment to allow for indefinite presidential re-election in El Salvador. EPA/RODRIGO SURA 
Bukele won a second term last year despite a constitutional ban on re-election. El Salvador's top court, filled with Bukele-backed judges, had ruled that it was the leader's human right to run again.
The constitutional amendment sent on Thursday by Bukele's New Ideas party, which dominates Congress, would allow indefinite presidential re-election, extend terms from five years to six and scrap run-offs.
After his re-election last year, Bukele had told reporters he "didn't think a constitutional reform would be necessary," but evaded questions on whether he would try to run for a third term.
The proposal would also shorten the president's current term to synchronize elections in 2027, as presidential, legislative and municipal elections are currently staggered.
Consolidating the votes would likely favor a party that performs well across the board in a single election cycle.
"This is quite simple, El Salvador: only you will have the power to decide how long you wish to support the work of any public official, including your president," said lawmaker Ana Figueroa. "You have the power to decide how long you support your president and all elected officials."
(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Editing by Natalia Siniawski)