President of El Salvador

President of the Republic of El Salvador Presidente de la República de El Salvador
Presidential Seal
File:Nayib Bukele - 2019 (48342383356) (cropped).jpg Incumbent Nayib Bukele since 1 June 2019
Residence	Casa Presidencial, San Salvador
Term length	Five years, not eligible for re-election immediately
Inaugural holder	Juan José Guzmán
Formation	22 February 1841
Deputy	Vice President of El Salvador
Salary	US$5,181 per month
Website	President of El Salvador

The president of El Salvador (Spanish: Presidente de El Salvador), officially known as the president of the Republic of El Salvador (Spanish: Presidente de la República de El Salvador), is the head of state and head of government of El Salvador. He is also, by Constitutional Law, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of El Salvador. 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 his duties on 1 June of the year of his election and is accompanied by a vice president.

According to the Electoral Code, for a person to be declared President-Elect of the Republic, he 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. He is ineligible for immediate reelection, but may run again after sitting out one election period.

Each June 1, 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 and the Intendancy of San Salvador joined to form the State of El Salvador, united first to the United Provinces of Central America and then to the Federal Republic of Central America. 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 in 1838. At that time, the legislative body created a constitution to legitimize the nation of El Salvador and also named Juan Lindo 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 became President of the Republic in which his government gave entrance to the "French Bread". He resigned from power in 1863 and Francisco Dueñas 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 became President.

In 1931, a coup d'état led by Vice President General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez 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 which killed 25,000 indigenous peoples. Martínez would be overthrown in 1944 and General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez 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. The coup marked the beginning of the Salvadoran Civil War 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 (FMLN). The Junta was abolished in 1982 and Álvaro Magaña became President of the Republic. The 1983 Constituent Assembly decided to create the current Constitution of El Salvador 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 would lead the government against the FMLN from 1984 to 1989. In 1989, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) won the 1989 presidential election. Alfredo Cristiani became the first president of ARENA. ARENA won the presidential elections in 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2004. Its presidents were Alfredo Cristiani, Armando Calderón Sol, 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.

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 won the 2009 presidential election ending 20 years of ARENA rule and marked the first FMLN presidency. Salvador Sánchez Cerén became the second FMLN president in 2015 after narrowly defeating Norman Quijano.

In 2019, Nayib Bukele, from the Grand Alliance for National Unity (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

Independent (4)           Liberal (1)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political Affiliation
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	80px	Pedro Barriere (?–1827)	21 September 1821	28 November 1821		Independent
2	80px	José Matías Delgado (1767–1832)	28 November 1821	9 February 1823		Independent
3	80px	Vicente Filísola (1789–1850)	9 February 1823	7 May 1823		Independent
4	80px	Felipe Codallos (1790–?)	7 May 1823	25 May 1823		Independent
—	File:Coat of arms of El Salvador.svg	Consultive Junta	25 May 1823	17 June 1823		Consultive Junta
5	80px	Mariano Prado (1776–1837)	17 June 1823	22 April 1824		Liberal

Heads of state of El Salvador

Head of State of El Salvador
Independent (6)           Conservative (3)           Liberal (6)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political Affiliation
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Juan Manuel Rodríguez (1771–1847)	–	22 April 1824	1 October 1824		Independent
—	80px	Mariano Prado (1776–1837) Acting Head of State	–	1 October 1824	13 December 1824		Liberal
2	80px	Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz (1764–1828)	–	13 December 1824	1 November 1826		Liberal
—	80px	Mariano Prado (1776–1837) Acting Head of State	–	1 November 1826	30 January 1829		Liberal
3	80px	José María Cornejo (1788–1864)	1829	30 January 1829	16 February 1830		Conservative
4	80px	José Damián Villacorta (1796–1860)	–	16 February 1830	4 December 1830		Independent
5	80px	José María Cornejo (1788–1864)	–	4 December 1830	3 April 1832		Conservative
—		Francisco Morazán (1792–1842) Provisional Head of State	–	3 April 1832	13 May 1832		Liberal
—		Joaquín de San Martín (1770–1854) Acting Head of State	–	13 May 1832	25 July 1832		Conservative
6	80px	Mariano Prado (1776–1837)	–	25 July 1832	1 July 1833		Liberal
7		Joaquín de San Martín (1770–1854)	1833	1 July 1833	23 June 1834		Conservative
—	80px	Carlos Salazar Castro (1800–1867) Provisional Head of State	–	23 June 1834	13 July 1834		Independent
—	80px	José Gregorio Salazar (1773–1838) Provisional Head of State	–	13 July 1834	30 September 1834		Independent
8	80px	Joaquín Escolán y Balibrera (?–?)	–	30 September 1834	13 October 1834		Independent
—	80px	José María Silva (1804–1876) Acting Head of State	–	13 October 1834	2 March 1835		Independent
9	80px	Joaquín Escolán y Balibrera (?–?)	–	2 March 1835	10 April 1835		Independent
10	80px	Nicolás Espinoza (1795–1845)	–	10 April 1835	15 November 1835		Liberal
—	80px	Francisco Gómez (1796–1838) Acting Head of State	–	15 November 1835	1 February 1836		Independent
11	80px	Diego Vigil Cocaña (1799–1845)	–	1 February 1836	23 May 1837		Liberal
12	80px	Timoteo Menéndez (?–?)	–	23 May 1837	7 June 1837		Independent
13	80px	Diego Vigil Cocaña (1799–1845)	–	7 June 1837	6 January 1838		Liberal
14	80px	Timoteo Menéndez (?–?)	–	6 January 1838	23 May 1838		Independent
—	80px	Antonio José Cañas (1785–1844) Acting Head of State	–	23 May 1838	11 July 1839		Independent
15		Francisco Morazán (1792–1842)	–	11 July 1839	16 February 1840		Liberal
—	80px	José María Silva (1804–1876) Acting Head of State	–	16 February 1840	5 April 1840		Independent
—	File:Coat of arms of El Salvador.svg	Municipal Council of San Salvador	–	5 April 1840	15 April 1840		Municipal Council of San Salvador
—	80px	Antonio José Cañas (1785–1844) Provisional Head of State	–	15 April 1840	20 September 1840		Independent
—	80px	Norberto Ramírez (1802–1856) Provisional Head of State	–	20 September 1840	7 January 1841		Independent
—	80px	Juan Lindo (1790–1857) Provisional Head of State	–	7 January 1841	22 February 1841		Conservative

Presidents of independent El Salvador (1841–present)

Independent (2)           Conservative (9)           Liberal (13)           PDN (4)           Labor (1)           PPP (1)           Military (14)           PDSU (1)
PRUD (2)           PCN (4)           DAP (1)           PDC (1)           ARENA (4)           FMLN (2)           GANA (1)           NI (1)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political Affiliation
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
—	80px	Juan Lindo (1790–1857) Provisional President	—	22 February 1841	20 June 1841		Conservative
—	80px	Pedro José Arce (es) (1801–1871) Provisional President	—	20 June 1841	28 June 1841		Independent
—	80px	Juan Lindo (1790–1857) Provisional President	—	28 June 1841	1 February 1842		Conservative
—		José Escolástico Marín (?–1846) Acting President	—	1 February 1842	14 April 1842		Independent
1		Juan José Guzmán (1800–1847)	—	14 April 1842	10 December 1843		Conservative
—	80px	Cayetano Antonio Molina (es) (1803–1873) Provisional President	—	10 December 1843	20 December 1843		Independent
—	80px	Pedro José Arce (es) (1801–1871) Provisional President	—	20 December 1843	29 December 1843		Independent
—	80px	Cayetano Antonio Molina (es) (1803–1873) Provisional President	—	29 December 1843	1 January 1844		Independent
—	80px	Pedro José Arce (es) (1801–1871) Provisional President	—	1 January 1844	1 February 1844		Independent
—		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1844	7 February 1844		Independent
2		Francisco Malespín (1806–1846)	1844	7 February 1844	15 February 1845		Conservative
3	80px	Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875)	—	15 February 1845	1 February 1846		Independent
—		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1846	21 February 1846		Independent
4	80px	Eugenio Aguilar (1804–1879)	1846	21 February 1846	1 February 1848		Liberal
—	80px	Tomás Medina (1803–1884) Acting President	—	1 February 1848	3 February 1848		Independent
—	80px	José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) Acting President	—	3 February 1848	7 February 1848		Independent
5	80px	Doroteo Vasconcelos (1803–1883)	1848	7 February 1848	1 February 1850		Liberal
—	80px	Ramón Rodríguez (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1850	4 February 1850		Independent
6	80px	Doroteo Vasconcelos (1803–1883)	1850	4 February 1850	12 January 1851		Liberal
—	80px	Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Provisional President	—	12 January 1851	1 March 1851		Conservative
—	80px	José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) Acting President	—	1 March 1851	3 May 1851		Independent
7	80px	Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884)	—	13 May 1851	30 January 1852		Conservative
—		José María San Martín (1811–1857) Acting President	—	30 January 1852	1 February 1852		Conservative
8	80px	Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884)	1852	1 February 1852	1 February 1854	years	Conservative
—	80px	Vicente Gómez (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1854	15 February 1854		Independent
9		José María San Martín (1811–1857)	1854	15 February 1854	1 February 1856		Conservative
—	80px	Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	1 February 1856	12 February 1856		Conservative
10		Rafael Campo (1813–1890)	1856	12 February 1856	1 February 1858		Conservative
—	80px	Lorenzo Zepeda (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1858	7 February 1858		Independent
11	80px	Miguel Santín del Castillo (1830–1880)	1858	7 February 1858	24 January 1859		Conservative
—	80px	Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	24 January 1859	15 February 1859		Independent
—	80px	José María Peralta (1807–1883) Acting President	—	15 February 1859	12 March 1859		Independent
12	80px	Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865)	—	12 March 1859	26 October 1863		Liberal
13	80px	Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884)	1864 1869	26 October 1863	15 April 1871		Conservative
14		Santiago González Portillo (1818–1887)	—	15 April 1871	1 February 1876		Liberal
15		Andrés del Valle (1833–1888)	—	1 February 1876	1 May 1876		Liberal
16	80px	Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903)	—	1 May 1876	6 April 1884		Liberal
—	80px	Ángel Guirola (es) (1826–1910) Provisional President	—	6 April 1884	21 August 1884		Independent
17	80px	Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903)	—	21 August 1884	14 May 1885		Liberal
—	80px	Fernando Figueroa (1849–1919) Provisional President	—	14 May 1885	18 June 1885		Military / Liberal
—	80px	José Rosales Herrador (1827–1891) Provisional President	—	18 June 1885	22 June 1885		Independent
18		Francisco Menéndez (1830–1890)	1887	22 June 1885	22 June 1890	years	Military / Liberal
19	80px	Carlos Ezeta (1852–1903)	1891	22 June 1890	9 June 1894		Military / Liberal
20		Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez (1845–1921)	1895	10 June 1894	13 November 1898		Military / Liberal
21		Tomás Regalado (1861–1906)	1899	14 November 1898	1 March 1903		Military / Liberal
22	80px	Pedro José Escalón (1847–1923)	1903	1 March 1903	1 March 1907	years	Military / Conservative
23	80px	Fernando Figueroa (1849–1919)	1907	1 March 1907	1 March 1911	years	Military / Liberal
24		Manuel Enrique Araujo (1865–1913)	1911	1 March 1911	9 February 1913		Independent
—		Carlos Meléndez Ramirez (1861–1919) Provisional President	—	9 February 1913	29 August 1914		National Democratic Party
—		Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950) Provisional President	—	29 August 1914	1 March 1915		National Democratic Party
25		Carlos Meléndez Ramirez (1861–1919)	1915	1 March 1915	21 December 1918		National Democratic Party
—		Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950) Acting President	—	21 December 1918	1 March 1919		National Democratic Party
26		Jorge Meléndez (1871–1953)	1919	1 March 1919	1 March 1923	years	National Democratic Party
27		Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950)	1923	1 March 1923	1 March 1927	years	National Democratic Party
28	80px	Pío Romero Bosque (1860–1935)	1927	1 March 1927	1 March 1931	years	National Democratic Party
29		Arturo Araujo (1878–1967)	1931	1 March 1931	2 December 1931		Labor Party
—	80px	Civic Directory	—	2 December 1931	4 December 1931		Civic Directory
—		Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (1882–1966) Acting President	—	4 December 1931	28 August 1934		Military / National Pro Patria Party
—	80px	Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1879–1962) Provisional President	—	29 August 1934	1 March 1935		Military / National Pro Patria Party
30		Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (1882–1966)	1935 1939 1944	1 March 1935	9 May 1944		Military / National Pro Patria Party
—	80px	Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1879–1962) Provisional President	—	9 May 1944	20 October 1944		Military / National Pro Patria Party
style="background:Template:Military rule/meta/color; color:black" |—	80px	Osmín Aguirre y Salinas (1889–1977) Provisional President	—	21 October 1944	1 March 1945		Military
31	80px	Salvador Castaneda Castro (1888–1965)	1945	1 March 1945	14 December 1948		Military / Unification Social Democratic Party
—	80px	Revolutionary Council of Government (es)	—	15 December 1948	14 September 1950		Revolutionary Council of Government
32		Óscar Osorio (1910–1969)	1950	14 September 1950	14 September 1956	years	Military / Revolutionary Party of Democratic Unification
33	80px	José María Lemus (1911–1993)	1956	14 September 1956	26 October 1960		Military / Revolutionary Party of Democratic Unification
—	80px	Junta of Government	—	26 October 1960	25 January 1961		Junta of Government
—	80px	Civic-Military Directory	—	25 January 1961	25 January 1962	years	Civic-Military Directory
—	80px	Eusebio Rodolfo Cordón Cea (1899–1966) Provisional President	—	25 January 1962	1 July 1962		Independent
style="background:Template:National Coalition Party (El Salvador)/meta/color; color:white" |34		Julio Adalberto Rivera Carballo (1921–1973)	1962	1 July 1962	1 July 1967	years	Military / National Conciliation Party
style="background:Template:National Coalition Party (El Salvador)/meta/color; color:white" |35	80px	Fidel Sánchez Hernández (1917–2003)	1967	1 July 1967	1 July 1972	years	Military / National Conciliation Party
style="background:Template:National Coalition Party (El Salvador)/meta/color; color:white" |36	80px	Arturo Armando Molina (born 1927)	1972	1 July 1972	1 July 1977	years	Military / National Conciliation Party
style="background:Template:National Coalition Party (El Salvador)/meta/color; color:white" |37		Carlos Humberto Romero (1924–2017)	1977	1 July 1977	15 October 1979		Military / National Conciliation Party
—	80px	Revolutionary Government Junta	—	15 October 1979	2 May 1982		Revolutionary Government Junta
38	80px	Álvaro Magaña (1925–2001)	1982	2 May 1982	1 June 1984		Democratic Action Party
style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Party (El Salvador)/meta/color; color:white" |39	80px	José Napoleón Duarte (1925–1990)	1984	1 June 1984	1 June 1989	years	Christian Democratic Party
40		Alfredo Cristiani (born 1947)	1989	1 June 1989	1 June 1994	years	Nationalist Republican Alliance
41	550px	Armando Calderón Sol (1948–2017)	1994	1 June 1994	1 June 1999	years	Nationalist Republican Alliance
42		Francisco Flores Pérez (1959–2016)	1999	1 June 1999	1 June 2004	years	Nationalist Republican Alliance
43		Antonio Saca (born 1965)	2004	1 June 2004	1 June 2009	years	Nationalist Republican Alliance
44		Mauricio Funes (born 1959)	2009	1 June 2009	1 June 2014	years	Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
45		Salvador Sánchez Cerén (born 1944)	2014	1 June 2014	1 June 2019	years	Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
style="background:Template:Nuevas Ideas/meta/color; color:white" |46	80px	Nayib Bukele (born 1981)	2019	1 June 2019	Incumbent (Term ends on 1 June 2024)		Grand Alliance for National Unity / Nuevas Ideas

Latest election

Main article: 2019 Salvadoran presidential election

Popular vote
GANA			53.10%
ARENA			31.72%
FMLN			14.41%
Vamos			0.77%

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Nayib Bukele	Grand Alliance for National Unity	1,434,856	53.10
	Carlos Calleja	Nationalist Republican Alliance	857,084	31.72
	Hugo Martínez	Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front	389,289	14.41
	Josué Alvarado	Vamos	20,763	0.77
Invalid or blank votes			31,186	–
Total			2,733,178	100
Registered voters/turnout			5,268,411	51.88
Source: TSE

Living former presidents

• Coronel Arturo Molina.png

  Arturo Armando Molina
  1972–1977
• 

  Alfredo Cristiani
  1989–1994
• 

  Antonio Saca
  2004–2009
• 

  Mauricio Funes
  2009–2014
• 

  Salvador Sánchez Cerén
  2014–2019

Timeline

See also

• El Salvador
• Colonial Intendant of San Salvador
• History of El Salvador

External links

• El Presidencia de El Salvador