Mauricio Funes, former president of El Salvador, died in Nicaragua at 65 due to a chronic illness. Fleeing from corruption charges, Funes lived in exile since 2016 and faced multiple convictions. He served as president from 2009 to 2014 and was initially seen as a reformer, though his legacy is deeply tarnished by allegations of wrongdoing with street gangs.
Mauricio Funes, the former president of El Salvador, passed away at the age of 65 in Nicaragua, where he sought refuge to escape various criminal sentences. Nicaragua’s Health Ministry reported that he succumbed to a serious chronic illness. Funes, who served as president from 2009 to 2014, lived his last years under the protection of President Daniel Ortega, benefiting from citizenship that allowed him to avoid extradition for corruption charges.
Mauricio Funes, a former journalist, was a member of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a leftist party that dominated Salvadoran politics for decades. Despite winning the presidency in 2009, he faced serious allegations of corruption and collusion with gangs, which led him to flee to Nicaragua in 2016. Since then, he had been tried and convicted in absentia for various offenses, including negotiating truces with gangs and misappropriating government funds.
The death of Mauricio Funes marks the end of a controversial political journey. While he was once celebrated as a symbol of hope for a new era in El Salvador, his presidency was marred by corruption and accusations of illegality. His legacy will remain complicated, reflecting both his initial appeal and the subsequent scandals that defined his administration.
Original Source: www.bostonglobe.com
