Christine Wade, professor of political science and international studies at Washington College in Chestertown, Md.: “The recent reduction of the number of municipalities and seats in the legislature, along with the change in the electoral formula for the allocation of legislative seats, speaks to the imprudent nature of decision making that has come to characterize Bukele’s presidency. Notably, these changes take place less than a year before the next elections, facilitated by repealing part of the electoral code. Analysts have long argued that, at 262, there were too many municipalities in El Salvador. Small and poorly funded, many had difficulty delivering basic services to their communities. This hindered post-war decentralization efforts and contributed to uneven development. There were certainly opportunities for improvements here, but the lack of redistricting studies and public consultation in this process highlights the lack of transparency and efficacy in most of Bukele’s projects. Again, a major public policy issue has been reduced to an electoral strategy. These changes will effectively reduce El Salvador to…”