[1][2][3] Some Latin American heads of state indefinitely extend their rule by way of reducing or abolishing term limits,[4] via constitutional revision.
A third tactic is by plebiscite, such as in the cases of Carlos Castillo Armas in Guatemala, Marcos Pérez Jiménez in Venezuela and the 1988 failed attempt by Augusto Pinochet in Chile.
Yet another way is for the outgoing incumbent to hand-pick a successor that they can use as a puppet ruler, as when Emilio Portes Gil and Abelardo Rodríguez in Mexico allowed Plutarco Elías Calles, "el jefe máximo", to continue ruling, a period known as the Maximato.
[5] Despite Peru's one-term limit established by its 1979 constitution, Alberto Fujimori illegally extended his rule to ten years through two re-elections.
[3] U.S. President Donald Trump often mused about serving in office beyond constitutional limits, before publicly ruling it out in September 2023.