Outsider candidate Nayib Bukele declares victory in El Salvador's presidential election

Former San Salvador Mayor Nayib Bukele has claimed victory in El Salvador's presidential election.

The 37-year-old ran on an anti-corruption platform, representing the Gana (National Alliance) party. With nearly all the votes counted, he has almost 53 percent of the vote; Bukele needs more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. In distant second place is Carlos Calleja, a conservative, with 32 percent of the vote, followed by FMLN candidate Hugo Martinez with 14 percent. The official results will be announced within the next two days.

Over the last 30 years, the left-wing FMLN and conservative Arena parties have dominated El Salvador's politics, BBC News reports, and speaking to supporters on Sunday, Bukele said, "We have turned the page on power." He has said he will focus on the major issues facing El Salvador, including poverty, gangs, crime, corruption, and high murder rates.

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