El Salvador

Socialist International delegation in El Salvador

16 March 2009

Luis Romero

Representatives of the Socialist International pictured with El Salvador President-elect Mauricio Funes (centre).

A delegation of the Socialist International visited El Salvador on the occasion of the elections held on March 15 to elect the President and Vice-President of this Central American country. The delegation, headed by SI Secretary General Luis Ayala, included Miguel Angel Ibarra (UNE, Guatemala), Peggy Cabral de PeñaGómez and Tony Rafful (PRD, Dominican Republic) Francesca D’Ulisse (DS, Italy) and José Murat (PRI, Mexico). As well as observing the vote, the delegation held meetings with Mauricio Funes, the victorious FMLN-backed presidential candidate who defeated his conservative opponent Rodrigo Ávila by a 51.3 to 48.7 percent margin; with the leadership of the FMLN, a party which regularly participates in the activities of the Socialist International; and with representatives of other international delegations monitoring the elections, including the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the European Union (EU).