A complex tale of political exile comes to an end as El Salvador's former leader faces death in a foreign land.
According to AP News, Mauricio Funes, El Salvador's former president who had been living under Nicaragua's protection to avoid criminal sentences, died Tuesday night at age 65 due to a serious chronic illness.
Nicaragua's Health Ministry confirmed Funes' death, while the country's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced his family's decision to have him buried in Nicaragua. The former president had spent his final nine years in Nicaragua, where President Daniel Ortega's government had granted him citizenship to prevent his extradition to El Salvador.
Born in San Salvador in 1959, Funes initially worked as a teacher in Catholic schools before establishing himself as a respected war correspondent. His journalism career flourished as he hosted a popular interview program addressing controversial topics, conducted interviews with multiple heads of state, and served as a CNN correspondent from 1991 to 2007.
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) identified Mauricio Funes as a strong candidate and chose him to run for president. In 2009, Funes defeated Rodrigo Ávila of the conservative National Republican Alliance (Arena), a party that had held power in El Salvador since 1989.
FMLN Labor Minister Rolando Castro later commented on Funes' legacy through the social media platform X. He acknowledged Funes' impact as a journalist, noting his valuable skills and contributions to the country, while also recognizing the mistakes he made during his time in public office.
Funes faced mounting corruption allegations by the end of his presidency in 2014. Two years later, he fled to Nicaragua, consistently denying the accusations and claiming political persecution. Despite his absence, he was tried and convicted six times in absentia.
In May 2023, he received a 14-year prison sentence for negotiating with gangs to reduce the homicide rate by offering imprisoned gang leaders special privileges. His final conviction came in June 2023, resulting in an eight-year sentence for accepting an airplane as a kickback in a bridge construction contract.
The corruption investigations extended beyond Funes himself, ensnaring various former administration officials, including his ex-wife Vanda Pignato, his children, and former partners. Notable among these cases was his former security minister, David Munguía Payés, who received an 18-year sentence for his role in the gang negotiations.
Despite the controversies surrounding Funes' presidency, the FMLN maintained power through his successor, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, who governed from 2014 to 2019. However, the party's influence has since diminished dramatically, holding no congressional seats after last year's election.
In his later years, Funes engaged in frequent social media disputes with current President Nayib Bukele, who actively pursued prosecutions against the former president, particularly regarding his gang negotiations.
At the time of his death, Funes faced accumulated sentences totaling 28 years and was under investigation for allegedly misappropriating $351 million in government funds.
Mauricio Funes, who transformed from an award-winning journalist to El Salvador's president, died in Nicaragua while evading multiple criminal convictions. His death marks the end of a controversial political career that began with his historic 2009 election victory and concluded with his nine-year exile in Nicaragua, where he sought refuge from corruption charges and gang-related negotiations that resulted in multiple convictions totaling 28 years in prison.
