section_path: Early political career/Expulsion from the FMLN
section_name: Expulsion from the FMLN
paragraph_text: Expulsion from the FMLN
  
  Bukele's relationship with the FMLN began to deteriorate after he became mayor of San Salvador. He clashed with other party members on Twitter, and frequently resisted FMLN party leadership.: 239 Bukele was a strong critic of Salvador Sánchez Cerén, the FMLN president of El Salvador who was elected in 2014. He threatened to leave the party in 2015 if the FMLN-led government reappointed Luis Martínez as the country's attorney general, describing Martínez as "a gangster, very corrupt, the worst of the worst". The FMLN relented and replaced Martínez, and Bukele later admitted that his threat to leave the party "was a bluff".
  
  In September 2017, San Salvador FMLN member Xóchitl Marchelli alleged that Bukele had thrown an apple at her, calling her a "damn traitor" (" maldita traidora ") and a "witch" (" bruja "). Bukele did not attend an FMLN ethics tribunal on 7 October 2017, saying that the tribunal was biased in favor of Marchelli. On 10 October 2017, he was expelled from the party after the tribunal determined that he had engaged in "defamatory acts" (" actos difamatorios ") against the party, showed "disrespect" (" irrespeto ") for women's rights and the party's statutes, and made "disqualifying comments" (" comentarios descalificadores ") to party members.
  
  Marchelli sued Bukele through the Specialized Investigative Court, but sent a letter to the court in October 2018 saying that she would no longer pursue the matter for health reasons. Despite Marchelli's withdrawal, the FGR proceeded with the case. On 29 March 2019, the Specialized Sentencing Court acquitted Bukele.
  
  In the 2018 legislative and municipal elections, where Bukele was favored to win re-election before his expulsion, the FMLN had its worst performance since 1994, the party's first election. It lost six seats in the Legislative Assembly, and 16 municipalities. During the election, Bukele called on his supporters nationwide to spoil their vote or stay home on election day rather than support the FMLN.: 137 In February 2019, FMLN presidential communications secretary Roberto Lorenzana stated that Bukele's expulsion was a mistake that cost the party votes. In 2025, Bukele remarked that he was "mistaken" (" equivocado ") for having previously voted for the FMLN.
  
  Bukele's relationship with the FMLN began to deteriorate after he became mayor of San Salvador. He clashed with other party members on Twitter, and frequently resisted FMLN party leadership.: 239 Bukele was a strong critic of Salvador Sánchez Cerén, the FMLN president of El Salvador who was elected in 2014. He threatened to leave the party in 2015 if the FMLN-led government reappointed Luis Martínez as the country's attorney general, describing Martínez as "a gangster, very corrupt, the worst of the worst". The FMLN relented and replaced Martínez, and Bukele later admitted that his threat to leave the party "was a bluff".
  
  In September 2017, San Salvador FMLN member Xóchitl Marchelli alleged that Bukele had thrown an apple at her, calling her a "damn traitor" (" maldita traidora ") and a "witch" (" bruja "). Bukele did not attend an FMLN ethics tribunal on 7 October 2017, saying that the tribunal was biased in favor of Marchelli. On 10 October 2017, he was expelled from the party after the tribunal determined that he had engaged in "defamatory acts" (" actos difamatorios ") against the party, showed "disrespect" (" irrespeto ") for women's rights and the party's statutes, and made "disqualifying comments" (" comentarios descalificadores ") to party members.
  
  Marchelli sued Bukele through the Specialized Investigative Court, but sent a letter to the court in October 2018 saying that she would no longer pursue the matter for health reasons. Despite Marchelli's withdrawal, the FGR proceeded with the case. On 29 March 2019, the Specialized Sentencing Court acquitted Bukele.
  
  In the 2018 legislative and municipal elections, where Bukele was favored to win re-election before his expulsion, the FMLN had its worst performance since 1994, the party's first election. It lost six seats in the Legislative Assembly, and 16 municipalities. During the election, Bukele called on his supporters nationwide to spoil their vote or stay home on election day rather than support the FMLN.: 137 In February 2019, FMLN presidential communications secretary Roberto Lorenzana stated that Bukele's expulsion was a mistake that cost the party votes. In 2025, Bukele remarked that he was "mistaken" (" equivocado ") for having previously voted for the FMLN.