El Salvador consolidates local governments, opposition warns of power grab

Reuters
June 14, 202310:38 AM CDTUpdated 4 days ago

SAN SALVADOR, June 14 (Reuters) - Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Wednesday signed into law a bill to slash the country's 262 municipalities to just 44, a move the government says will cut spending but that the opposition decries as a power grab. El Salvador's Congress passed the bill late on Tuesday with 67 votes in favor and 15 against.

Ruling party deputies, who hold a majority in Congress, said the move will trim public spending, generate more investment and help fight corruption - which Bukele vowed to do this month. The new municipalities are set to be governed in 14 departments.

"This seeks to generate a more equitable distribution of wealth, which will be converted into opportunities for the Salvadoran people, improving their quality of life," said Elisa Rosales, a deputy from the ruling New Ideas party.

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Opposition lawmakers, however, say the move looks to centralize power, increase bureaucracy for project development and reduce the municipalities' autonomous resource management.

More:
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/el-salvador-consolidates-local-governments-opposition-warns-power-grab-2023-06-14/