El Salvador's president eyes re-election on back of gang crackdown - BBC News

President Nayib Bukele is far ahead of rivals in polls - but not all voters are convinced.

14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage caption, Francisco Villegas travelled back from his home in Pennsylvania just to vote for Nayib BukeleBy Will GrantBBC News, San SalvadorThere was no doubting Francisco Villegas' political colours as he stepped off his flight into El Salvador.

Draped in a flag bearing President Nayib Bukele's face, he was dressed in light blue - the colour of the ruling party, Nuevas Ideas.

"We're going to win!" he yelled, to cheers and applause from a small crowd of people waiting for their relatives outside the arrivals lounge.

Like thousands of Salvadorans living abroad, Francisco is such a staunch supporter of El Salvador's controversial president that he travelled back from his home in Pennsylvania specifically to vote for him.

"Quite honestly, in the past I didn't care who won," he says. "But I've seen the changes in five years and I thought I'd make the effort to come and support him. It's been a 180-degree shift. I feel so safe here now."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-68195441?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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