Elvia Violeta Menjívar Escalante (born 1952 in Arcatao) is a

Salvadoran Salvadorans (), also known as Salvadorians, are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvadoran diaspora, particularly in the United States, with smalle ...

politician affiliated with the

Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (, abbreviated FMLN) is a Salvadoran political party and former guerrilla rebel group. The FMLN was formed as an umbrella group on 10 October 1980, from five leftist guerrilla organizations; ...

. She has been Minister of Health and Social Welfare since 1 June 2014. She is the former mayor of

San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...

. Born Elvia Violeta Menjívar in Arcatao, Chalatenango, she studied medicine at the University of El Salvador. In 1979 she became a member of the Fuerzas Populares de Liberación "Farabundo Martí" or FPL, one of five leftist organizations that united to form the current Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (generally known by its Spanish-language acronym FMLN). During the civil war she provided medical aid to combatants and civilians in the Chalatenango Department. In 1992 she was elected deputy to the

Legislative Assembly of El Salvador The Legislative Assembly () is the legislative branch of the government of El Salvador. History The organization was founded in 1824 as the Central American Congress (). Structure The Salvadoran legislature is a unicameral body. Until ...

, representing the FMLN, a position for which she was re-elected in 2000 and 2003. She was designated by her party as the candidate for the Mayor of San Salvador elections in 2005, defeating the conservative candidate of

ARENA An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

, Rodrigo Samayoa. She is the first woman to serve as mayor of

. She lost in the election of January 18, 2009 to Norman Quijano of the ARENA party.

External links

Alcaldesa de San Salvador
(in Spanish) 1952 births Living people People from Chalatenango Department Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front politicians Government ministers of El Salvador Health ministers of El Salvador Women government ministers of El Salvador Members of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador Mayors of San Salvador Women mayors of places in El Salvador Salvadoran physicians University of El Salvador alumni People of the Salvadoran Civil War 20th-century Salvadoran women politicians 20th-century Salvadoran politicians 21st-century Salvadoran women politicians 21st-century Salvadoran politicians 20th-century women physicians {{ElSalvador-mayor-stub