Former Salvadoran president granted asylum in Nicaragua
Former Salvadoran president Mauricio Funes was granted asylum in Nicaragua because he and his family's lives were in danger because of their "struggle in favor of democracy, peace, justice, and human rights." Funes remains under investigation because of a small fortune he amassed while president, any irregularities pertaining his role in the country's 2012 gang truce, and the possibility that he influenced the awarding of some contracts to some friends of Mauricio. Funes claims that he is not avoiding the legal charges leveled against him. He has sought asylum in Daniel Ortega's Nicaragua because of political persecution.
Yesterday was a(nother) sad day for those of us who had placed a great deal of faith in Mauricio Funes and the FMLN (and the Sandinistas if you want). Funes and the FMLN were elected in 2009 as the first leftist government of El Salvador. Many Salvadorans, and others like myself who follow Salvadoran politics, hoped that the Funes and the FMLN would correct some of the flawed social, political, economic, and security policies pursued by the ARENA party over the previous twenty years.
While some wanted the FMLN to move closer to Hugo Chavez and the Latin America new left, I thought that the FMLN and Funes had a tremendous opportunity to pursue more progressive domestic policies and to build on their strong relationship with the US. The US in many ways bent over backwards to work with Funes. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended his inauguration. President Obama made a historic visit in 2011. El Salvador was also a recipient of the US' Partnership for Growth initiative and a second Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact. The US' relationship with Funes and the FMLN was not all rosy (several constitutional conflicts, the 2012 gang truce, and no CICIES to name a few), but for two former adversaries you couldn't expect any more.
Funes' presidency was a lost opportunity for the people of El Salvador. Not everything went wrong during his five years in office but it is hard to evaluate his term positively.
I spoke to the New York Times yesterday about Funes' bid for asylum in Nicaragua. I'm not yet convinced that his relocation is permanent. I have the feeling that his asylum request aimed at discrediting Attorney General Douglas Melendez and the process against him.
As president, Funes liked to take to Twitter to attack his opponents. The late Francisco Flores and ARENA were often on the receiving end of his tweets. In all likelihood, Funes' release of information regarding the US investigation into Flores' corruption set that case back. While no one should be happy with how this has played out in El Salvador, I can't help but think that many of Funes' political opponents are enjoying this moment.
Yesterday was a(nother) sad day for those of us who had placed a great deal of faith in Mauricio Funes and the FMLN (and the Sandinistas if you want). Funes and the FMLN were elected in 2009 as the first leftist government of El Salvador. Many Salvadorans, and others like myself who follow Salvadoran politics, hoped that the Funes and the FMLN would correct some of the flawed social, political, economic, and security policies pursued by the ARENA party over the previous twenty years.
While some wanted the FMLN to move closer to Hugo Chavez and the Latin America new left, I thought that the FMLN and Funes had a tremendous opportunity to pursue more progressive domestic policies and to build on their strong relationship with the US. The US in many ways bent over backwards to work with Funes. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended his inauguration. President Obama made a historic visit in 2011. El Salvador was also a recipient of the US' Partnership for Growth initiative and a second Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact. The US' relationship with Funes and the FMLN was not all rosy (several constitutional conflicts, the 2012 gang truce, and no CICIES to name a few), but for two former adversaries you couldn't expect any more.
Funes' presidency was a lost opportunity for the people of El Salvador. Not everything went wrong during his five years in office but it is hard to evaluate his term positively.
I spoke to the New York Times yesterday about Funes' bid for asylum in Nicaragua. I'm not yet convinced that his relocation is permanent. I have the feeling that his asylum request aimed at discrediting Attorney General Douglas Melendez and the process against him.
As president, Funes liked to take to Twitter to attack his opponents. The late Francisco Flores and ARENA were often on the receiving end of his tweets. In all likelihood, Funes' release of information regarding the US investigation into Flores' corruption set that case back. While no one should be happy with how this has played out in El Salvador, I can't help but think that many of Funes' political opponents are enjoying this moment.
Post a Comment