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The president of El Salvador ( es, Presidente de El Salvador), officially known as the President of the Republic of El Salvador ( es, Presidente de la República de El Salvador), is the
head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
and
head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gr ...
of
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
. He is also, by Constitutional Law, the commander-in-chief of the
Armed Forces of El Salvador The Armed Forces of El Salvador ( es, Fuerza Armada de El Salvador) are the official governmental military forces of El Salvador. The Forces have three branches: the Salvadoran Army, the Salvadoran Air Force and the Navy of El Salvador. Histor ...
. The office was created in the Constitution of 1841. From 1821 until 1841, the head of state of El Salvador was styled simply as Head of State (''Jefe de Estado''). The President of the Republic of El Salvador begins their duties on 1 June of the year of their election and is accompanied by a vice president. According to the Electoral Code, for a person to be declared President-Elect of the Republic, they must obtain 50% plus one of the votes obtained in the election in the presidential elections. If none of the candidates gets to obtain that result, a second voting round will be held where the two candidates who have obtained the most electoral votes in the first round will participate. The duration of the presidential term is five years and the president is eligible for reelection once consecutively as of 2021. Each 1 June, the president is accountable to the Legislative Assembly for the contributions and Government Development that the president, the vice president and the Council of Ministers developed from the beginning of the presidential term.


History

In 1824, the Mayor's Office of
Sonsonate Sonsonate () is a city and municipality of El Salvador. It is the capital of the department of Sonsonate; on the Sensunapan River Sensunapan River is a river in Sonsonate Sonsonate () is a city and municipality of El Salvador. It is the ca ...
and the
Intendancy of San Salvador The Intendancy of San Salvador ( es, Intendencia de San Salvador) was an administrative division of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, itself an administrative division of the Viceroyalty of New Spain which was a part of the Spanish Empire. T ...
joined to form the State of
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
, united first to the
United Provinces of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America ( es, República Federal de Centroamérica), originally named the United Provinces of Central America ( es, Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), and sometimes simply called Central America, in it ...
and then to the
Federal Republic of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America ( es, República Federal de Centroamérica), originally named the United Provinces of Central America ( es, Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), and sometimes simply called Central America, in it ...
. According to the federal law, the governor received the title of Supreme Chief until 1841, when El Salvador declared itself independent, with its governor being called President. From then on, four stages with particular characteristics are recognized: the post-federal period, the Coffee Republic, the military governments, and civil governments. In 1841, El Salvador was constituted as an independent and sovereign nation after the rupture of the
Federal Republic of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America ( es, República Federal de Centroamérica), originally named the United Provinces of Central America ( es, Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), and sometimes simply called Central America, in it ...
in 1838. At that time, the legislative body created a constitution to legitimize the nation of El Salvador and also named
Juan Lindo Juan Nepomuceno Fernández Lindo y Zelaya (generally known as Juan Lindo) (16 May 1790, Tegucigalpa, Honduras – 23 April 1857, Gracias, Honduras) was a Conservative Central American politician, provisional president of the Republic of El S ...
''Provisional President'' of the Republic of El Salvador on 2 February 1841. It was not until 26 September 1842 Juan José Guzmán was elected by the people as President of El Salvador. From that moment, the republic suffered a constant series of provisional governments that brought many leaders to power. In 1858, Captain General
Gerardo Barrios José Gerardo Barrios Espinoza (24 September 1813 – 29 August 1865) was a liberal Salvadoran military general and politician who served as President of El Salvador from 12 March 1859 to 26 October 1863. Barrios was a liberal and supported the ...
became President of the Republic in which his government gave entrance to the "French Bread". He resigned from power in 1863 and
Francisco Dueñas Francisco Dueñas Díaz (3 December 1810 – 4 March 1884) was a Salvadoran politician and member of the Conservative Party who served as President of El Salvador on four different occasions: 3 May 1851 to 30 January 1852, 1 February 1852 to ...
became President. It was not until the Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador of 1886 was ratified when the presidential term is increased from two to four years, beginning and ending the presidential terms on 1 March. In 1913, before the death of Manuel Enrique Araujo, a family 'dynasty' would begin. The Meléndez-Quiñonez Dynasty lasted 18 years until
Arturo Araujo Arturo Araujo Fajardo (1878 – December 1, 1967) was the president of El Salvador from March 1, 1931, to December 2, 1931. He was overthrown in a military coup led by junior officers, and was forced to flee the country for Guatemala. An agricult ...
became President. In 1931, a coup d'état led by Vice President General
Maximiliano Hernández Martínez Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (20 October 1882 – 15 May 1966) was a Salvadoran military officer and politician who served as the president of El Salvador from 4 December 1931 to 28 August 1934 in an acting capacity and again in an offici ...
overthrew President Araujo. This dictatorial government would establish the foundations of a rigid and totally militarized nation. It was not until 1939 when General Martínez called for a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution which established that the presidential term would be increased from 4 to 6 years and would begin and end on 1 January. During his presidency, Martínez initiated the
1932 Salvadoran Peasant Massacre ''La Matanza'' ( Spanish for "The Massacre") refers to a communist- indigenous rebellion in El Salvador that took place between 22 and 25 January 1932. It was succeeded by large-scale government killings in western El Salvador, which resulte ...
which killed 25,000 indigenous peoples. Martínez would be overthrown 12 years later in 1944 and General
Andrés Ignacio Menéndez Brigadier General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1 February 1879–7 June 1962) was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador. He served as President of El Salvador from 29 August 1934 to 1 March 1935 and again from 9 May to 20 October 1944. He was overthr ...
became Provisional President. From that moment, the presidency of the Republic once again showed dictatorial instability and military governments began to be established to the point of creating a republic with 'Military Authoritarianism' which would end in 1982. In 1950, Lieutenant Colonel Óscar Osorio constitutionally became the president of the Republic and a new constitution was drafted where the presidential term would be 6 years and begin and end on 14 September. Osorio was known as the president of the social programs since he implemented and founded programs such as the Urban Housing Institute (IVU), the Autonomous Port Executive Commission (CEPA) among others that benefited the nation. In 1960, a coup d'état overthrew President José María Lemus which led to the formation of a Junta of Government which would later be overthrown by the Civic-Military Directory in 1961. This was the case until the constitutional order was reestablished and another constitution was created in 1962 which would bring with it significant presidential reforms. From that moment, the presidential term would last 5 years and begin and end on 1 July. On 15 October 1979, the last coup d'état in Salvadoran history took place where a group of young soldiers and officers overthrew General
Carlos Humberto Romero General Carlos Humberto Romero Mena (29 February 1924 – 27 February 2017) was a Salvadoran army general politician who served as President of El Salvador from 1 July 1977, until his overthrow in a coup d'état on 15 October 1979. Early li ...
. The coup marked the beginning of the
Salvadoran Civil War The Salvadoran Civil War ( es, guerra civil de El Salvador) was a twelve year period of civil war in El Salvador that was fought between the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a coalition or " ...
which would rage on from 1979 to 1992. The Revolutionary Government Junta was established and ruled over El Salvador while fighting against the communist guerrilla group
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front ( es, Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional, FMLN) is a left-wing political party in El Salvador. The FMLN was formed as an umbrella group on 10 October 1980, from five leftist gu ...
(FMLN). The Junta was abolished in 1982 and
Álvaro Magaña Álvaro Alfredo Magaña Borja (October 8, 1925 – July 10, 2001) was a Salvadoran lawyer, economist and politician who was the president of El Salvador from 1982 to 1984. Biography He was born in Ahuachapán, El Salvador, and received his ...
became President of the Republic. The 1983 Constituent Assembly decided to create the current
Constitution of El Salvador The current constitution of El Salvador was enacted in 1983 and amended in 2003. The 1983 constitution of El Salvador is similar to that of 1962, often incorporating verbatim passages from the earlier document. The constitution consists of 11 t ...
which set presidential terms to 5 years and would begin and end on June 1. The civil war greatly affected the political stability of the country. President
José Napoleón Duarte José Napoleón Duarte Fuentes (23 November 1925 – 23 February 1990) was a Salvadoran politician who served as President of El Salvador from 1 June 1984 to 1 June 1989. He was mayor of San Salvador before running for president in 1972. He los ...
would lead the government against the FMLN from 1984 to 1989. In 1989, the
Nationalist Republican Alliance The Nationalist Republican Alliance ( es, Alianza Republicana Nacionalista, ARENA) is a conservative, right-wing political party of El Salvador. It was founded on 30 September 1981 by retired Salvadoran Army Major Roberto D'Aubuisson. It defines ...
(ARENA) won the 1989 presidential election.
Alfredo Cristiani Alfredo Félix Cristiani Burkard (born 22 November 1947) is a Salvadoran politician who was President of El Salvador from 1989 to 1994. Life and career Born into a wealthy family in San Salvador, his father Felix Cristiani was an Italian immi ...
became the first president of ARENA. ARENA won the presidential elections in 1989,
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
,
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
, and
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
. Its presidents were
Alfredo Cristiani Alfredo Félix Cristiani Burkard (born 22 November 1947) is a Salvadoran politician who was President of El Salvador from 1989 to 1994. Life and career Born into a wealthy family in San Salvador, his father Felix Cristiani was an Italian immi ...
,
Armando Calderón Sol Armando Calderón Sol (24 June 1949 – 9 October 2017) was President of El Salvador from 1 June 1994, to 1 June 1999, representing the Nationalist Republican Alliance. He was the first president elected in El Salvador after twelve years of ci ...
, Francisco Flores, and Elías Antonio Saca. The Civil War ended in 1992 and the FMLN became a legal political party in accordance to the
Chapultepec Peace Accords The Chapultepec Peace Accords were a set of peace agreements signed on January 16, 1992, the day in which the Salvadoran Civil War ended. The treaty established peace between the Salvadoran government and the Farabundo Martí National Liberati ...
. In 20 years of government, El Salvador was characterized by the privatization of national services such as coffee, telecommunications, the pension system, the National Bank, the Electric Power Service, among others. In 2001, the Economic Dollarization System was carried out in the country, a measure adopted by then President Francisco Flores which would have great long-term consequences for the Salvadoran economy and adopted the US dollar as legal currency.
Mauricio Funes Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena (born 18 October 1959) is a Salvadoran politician and former journalist who served as President of El Salvador from 2009 to 2014. Funes won the 2009 presidential election as the candidate of the left-wing Farabun ...
won the 2009 presidential election ending 20 years of ARENA rule and marked the first FMLN presidency.
Salvador Sánchez Cerén Salvador Sánchez Cerén (; born 18 June 1944) is a Salvadoran politician who served as the 42nd President of El Salvador between 1 June 2014 and 1 June 2019. He took office on 1 June 2014, after winning the 2014 presidential election as the ca ...
became the second FMLN president in 2015 after narrowly defeating Norman Quijano. In 2019,
Nayib Bukele Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez (; born 24 July 1981) is a Salvadoran politician and businessman who is the 43rd president of El Salvador, serving since 1 June 2019. He is the first president since José Napoleón Duarte (1984–1989) not to have ...
, from the
Grand Alliance for National Unity The Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA; es, Gran Alianza por la Unidad Nacional) is a political party in El Salvador. The party established itself on 16 January 2010 and was recognized by the Supreme Electoral Court of El Salvador on 19 Ma ...
(GANA), won the 2019 presidential election ending 10 years of FMLN rule. He was the first president since Duarte to not be a member of either ARENA or FMLN. He was the second president from Palestinian descent, after Elías Antonio Saca. He was inaugurated on 1 June 2019.


Heads of state of El Salvador within the Federal Republic of Central America (1821–1841)


Intendants political leaders of the Province of San Salvador

;Political parties


Heads of state of El Salvador

;Political parties


Presidents of El Salvador (1841–present)


Early republic (1841–1885)

;Political parties


First military dictatorship (1885–1911)

;Political parties


Meléndez–Quiñónez dynasty (1911–1931)

;Political parties


Second military dictatorship (1931–1979)

;Political parties





Modern republic (1979–present)

;Political parties





Latest election


Living former presidents

As of , there are four living former Salvadoran presidents:


See also

*
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
* Colonial Intendant of San Salvador *
History of El Salvador The history of El Salvador begins with several Mesoamerican nations, especially the Cuzcatlecs, as well as the Lenca and Maya. In the early 16th century, the Spanish Empire conquered the territory, incorporating it into the Viceroyalty of New S ...


References


External links


El Presidencia de El Salvador
{{Heads of State in Central America
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
Government of El Salvador 1841 establishments in El Salvador