El Salvador's Attorney General, Rodolfo Delgado, wrote on Twitter: "We can confirm that these two former officials, who had a duty to protect the Salvadoran people, negotiated the lives of the people in exchange for electoral support..."
Former President of El Salvador, Mauricio Funes. Photo: Reuters
Funes, who ruled El Salvador from 2009 to 2014, was granted Nicaraguan citizenship in 2019 and now lives in the Central American country. Nicaragua's constitution states that no citizen can be extradited.
Munguia was first arrested in 2020 on suspicion of illegal association and other charges related to arranging truces between gangs, in exchange for undisclosed benefits to criminal organizations.
Funes has not commented since his conviction. Munguia told reporters as he left the hearing that he believed his conviction was political vendetta and that the charges were baseless.
“Those involved in backroom deals with the blood of the Salvadoran people have been sentenced to prison for the damage caused to society,” El Salvador’s Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro said on Twitter.
El Salvador remains under a state of emergency declared by President Nayib Bukele's administration more than a year ago, a measure that has led to the arrest of more than 68,000 people believed to be gang members.
Huy Hoang (according to Reuters)
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