From Reform to Weaponization

This article examines how an anti-corruption surge contributed to El Salvador’s democratic decline. While it was not the sole driver of that process, we argue that a wave of high-profile prosecutions in the 2010s played a critical role in delegitimizing established political elites, creating the conditions for Bukele’s rise to power and his subsequent assault on democratic institutions. Once in office, and especially after securing sweeping electoral victories, Bukele and his allies dismantled core institutional checks, including the judiciary and public prosecution, and suspended civil liberties under a prolonged state of emergency. Anti-corruption mechanisms were not only neutralized, but also repurposed to target political opponents. By tracing political dynamics and institutional transformations over the past decade, we demonstrate that El Salvador’s anti-corruption surge served as a catalyst for political change and unleashed forces that eroded democratic institutions and the autonomy of oversight bodies. These findings speak to ongoing debates on the consequences of anti-corruption surges and the vulnerability of democratic institutions to political capture.