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63-471: El Salvador elects its head of state, the President of El Salvador , directly through a fixed-date general election whose winner is decided by absolute majority. If an absolute majority is not achieved by any candidate in the first round of a presidential election, then a run-off election is conducted 30 days later between the two candidates who obtained the most votes in the first round. The presidential period

126-506: A second round between the two candidates with the most valid votes would be held within one month of the first round. According to the 1983 constitution, the is a part of the executive branch of the Salvadoran government along with the vice president and the cabinet. The president appoints his cabinet ministers, vice ministers, and the governors of El Salvador's 14 departments (the equivalent of states or provinces). The president serves as

189-612: A brief reduction to three years between 1883 and 1886) until the 1939 constitution extended presidential terms to six years. Term lengths were briefly reverted back to four years in 1946 before being extended back to six years in 1950. Since 1962, presidential terms have been five years long. For most of Salvadoran history, either immediate re-election or re-election entirely was prohibited. The 1841 constitution allowed presidents to seek re-election after having left office for at least one full term. The 1864 constitution permitted for an incumbent president to seek re-election immediately, but

252-400: A division. In October 1856, Barrios, along with General José Trinidad Cabañas (his brother-in-law through Cabañas' marriage to Barrios' sister Petronila) and José María Zelaya, began conspiring a coup d'état against President Rafael Campo . In January 1857, Campo appointed Barrios as El Salvador's minister of interior relations and was named as a designated successor to the presidency

315-650: A political party registered with the Supreme Electoral Court . Several individuals are explicitly prohibited by constitution from seeking the office of president. Neither the president of the Legislative Assembly nor the president of the Supreme Court of Justice may run for president "during the year prior to the day the presidential term begins". Cabinet ministers, vice ministers, and the directors of government institutions are also prohibited to seek

378-461: A state visit to Guatemala and was replaced by Peralta as acting president. He returned to El Salvador and resumed his presidency on 7 February 1861. During his presidency, Barrios' government drafted a new constitution which allowed him to run for re-election. In 1859, Barrios rebuilt the Asunción College and reorganized its structure to be more secular and established three new universities:

441-508: Is disputed; he was born in either Cacahuatique (modern-day Ciudad Barrios ) or La Poza de la Juana (today a part of Nuevo Edén de San Juan ), and he was born on either 24 September 1813 or 3 October 1813. He was baptized on 24 October 1813. Barrios had three sisters: Petronila, María Josefa, and Onicéfora. Barrios suffered from some sort of defect and limped throughout his life. He was described as being sincere and loyal with his friends and being discreet when speaking. During his youth, Barrios

504-492: Is first in the line of presidential succession according to the constitution of El Salvador. After the vice president, anyone named by the Legislative Assembly as a "designate" (" designado ") succeed the vice president in the line of succession. The Legislative Assembly can appoint up to two designates. The following timeline visualizes the presidencies of El Salvador since 1821. Gerardo Barrios José Gerardo Barrios Espinoza (September/October 1813 – 29 August 1865)

567-514: Is five years, but as of a 2021 ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice of El Salvador , re-election is permitted for another 5 consecutive years. The decision came from Supreme Court judges appointed by lawmakers from President Bukele's ruling political party, drawing condemnation from the United States and other foreign countries. The executive branch of the government of El Salvador consists of

630-543: Is the head of state and head of government of El Salvador . The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of El Salvador . The office of president of El Salvador was created by the 1841 constitution of El Salvador . Nayib Bukele has served as President of El Salvador since 1 June 2019. Since 1962, presidential terms are five years long. The constitution has prohibited presidential re-election for most of Salvadoran history with some exceptions during

693-781: The Battle of Coatepeque in February 1863, the Guatemalans eventually prevailed and forced Barrios to flee the country on 26 October 1863 after the Siege of San Salvador . In his place, the Guatemalans installed Francisco Dueñas as provisional president. Barrios attempted to return to power in May 1865, but his ship was forced to dock in Nicaragua where he was arrested. He was extradited to El Salvador in August 1865 where he

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756-432: The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of El Salvador and is in charge of El Salvador's foreign affairs . The president is allowed to submit legislation to the Legislative Assembly for approval. The president is also allowed to veto any legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, but the legislature can override a veto with a two-third majority vote. The president can challenge the constitutionality of law before

819-471: The overthrow of President Arturo Araujo by the military in December 1931. On 11 October 1861, Barrios issued a decree which ordered all priests in the country to swear loyalty and submission to the constitution and the government. Many priests, including Tomás Miguel Pineda y Saldaña  [ es ] , the archbishop of San Salvador , left the country in protest on 19 November 1861. In April 1862,

882-413: The 1871 constitution restored the requirement of presidents to wait one full term before being eligible for re-election. This restoration was short-lived as the 1872 prohibited re-election entirely. This prohibition on re-election persisted until 1983; the 1983 constitution prohibits individuals from seeking re-election who served as president in the six months "during the period immediately before" or for

945-521: The 1983 constitution of El Salvador which set presidential terms to 5 years and would begin and end on June 1. The civil war greatly affected the political stability of the country. President José Napoleón Duarte would lead the government against the FMLN from 1984 to 1989. In 1989, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) won the 1989 presidential election . Alfredo Cristiani became

1008-689: The Cooperative Society "Gerardo Barrios 29 of August". On 28 January 1927, President Pío Romero Bosque issued an executive order to rename the country's military school, established in 1868, to the Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School (EMCGGB). The military school retained its name until it was closed and demolished in June 2022 to make way for the construction of the Estadio Nacional de El Salvador . In 1981,

1071-435: The Guatemalans at the Battle of Coatepeque . On 30 June 1863, Marshal Santiago González Portillo defected to the Guatemalans and declared himself as provisional president in opposition of Barrios. On 26 October 1863, after a long siege, Carrera captured San Salvador, deposing Barrios from power and forcing him to flee the country. The day Barrios was overthrown, Francisco Dueñas , a conservative exile, succeeded Barrios as

1134-426: The Legislative Assembly met to choose a new president. Barrios supported Guzmán's bid for the presidency, while Santín attempted to regain his position. Ultimately, the Legislative Assembly chose Guzmán as president, and Santín and several of his supporters left the country. A few weeks into Guzmán's presidency, he retired from politics and was replaced by José María Peralta on 15 February 1859. Peralta named Barrios as

1197-776: The Legislative Assembly upon request with the exception of military secrets, as well as to address the Legislative Assembly at the start of every calendar year regarding the prior year's government affairs. The Legislative Assembly is able to impeach and remove the president with a two-thirds majority vote. The president cannot ratify international treaties without the approval of the Legislative Assembly. The length of presidential terms has varied throughout Salvadoran history. From 1841 to 1864, presidential terms lasted two years. From 1864 to 1871, presidential terms were extended to last four years. Two year terms were briefly restored from 1871 to 1872 before being reverted back to four year terms. Four-year long presidential terms remained extant (with

1260-455: The Nicaraguan and Salvadoran governments were friendly to one another and the diplomats assured that Barrios would not be executed, he was extradited to El Salvador. Barrios was imprisoned and court-martialed by the Salvadoran government; his trial began on 10 August 1865. He was sentenced to death on 28 August 1865 at 11 p.m.; Barrios was denied the right to "settle his private affairs" and

1323-543: The Normal Schools of San Miguel , San Salvador , Santa Ana . In 1860, Barrios informed the Legislative Assembly that he intended to "regenerate" the country. He described El Salvador as "backward", "destitute", and "misgoverned" upon assuming office. Barrios sought to achieve five primary goals during his presidency: promote agriculture, industry, and commerce; introduce progressive Western European ideals to

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1386-869: The Salvadoran government signed a concordat with the Holy See , outlining the relation between both parties. Barrios' rise to the presidency in El Salvador was initially supported by Carrera, who was still serving as president of Guatemala, as he believed that Barrios' strong government would ensure stability in the region in the wake of the war against Walker's Nicaragua. To support Barrios, Carrera did not allow Salvadoran exiles in Guatemala to organize themselves to challenge Barrios. In December 1860 and January 1861, Barrios made an official visit to Guatemala. Eventually, however, relations between both countries deteriorated. On 11 January 1862, Honduran President José Santos Guardiola

1449-458: The Salvadoran legislature granted Barrios the rank of captain general . On 2 February 1851, Barrios fought under President Doroteo Vasconcelos during the Battle of La Arada , which ended in a Salvadoran defeat against Guatemalan forces under President Rafael Carrera . Barrios was called to participate in the Filibuster War against William Walker 's Nicaraguan government where he commanded

1512-413: The Supreme Court of Justice, but if the court rules the legislation is constitution, the president is required to sign the legislation into law. The Legislative Assembly exerts some checks on the president's power as provided by the constitution. The president requires the approval of the Legislative Assembly in order to leave El Salvador for any reason. The president is also required to report anything to

1575-516: The beginning of the Salvadoran Civil War which would rage on from 1979 to 1992. The Revolutionary Government Junta was established and ruled over El Salvador while fighting against the communist guerrilla group Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). The Junta was abolished in 1982 and Álvaro Magaña became President of the Republic. The 1983 Constituent Assembly decided to create

1638-409: The country's 14 departments , which return between 3 and 16 deputies each. The remaining 20 deputies are selected on the basis of a single national constituency . This El Salvador –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . President of El Salvador The president of the Republic of El Salvador ( Spanish : Presidente de la República de El Salvador )

1701-439: The country's military commander the day he assumed the presidency. Barrios returned to the presidency, again in an acting capacity, on 12 March 1859 after Peralta resigned. On 4 December 1859, Barrios won the 1859 presidential election unopposed and assumed the presidency in an official capacity on 1 February 1860, appointing José Félix Quirós as his vice president. Barrios left office on 16 December 1860 so that he could make

1764-450: The country's provisional president; on 4 December 1864, Dueñas won the 1864 presidential election unopposed and assumed the presidency in an official capacity on 1 February 1865. After his overthrow, Barrios and his wife fled to country to Panama , and then later, New York City and Washington, D.C. In 1864, Barrios published a manifesto which rejected the Salvadoran government's legitimacy—calling its leaders usurpers —and rejected

1827-528: The country; encourage immigration to the country; reform the country's education system; construct new roads and ports to expand the country's international trade and internal transportation. Barrios believed that El Salvador would be a major coffee producer by 1864, encouraging the transfer of government-owned haciendas to coffee planters. Barrios' government allowed oligarchs who held a stake in coffee production to hold significant power and influence in El Salvador, power and influence which would persist until

1890-493: The first FMLN presidency. Salvador Sánchez Cerén became the second FMLN president in 2014 after narrowly defeating Norman Quijano . In 2019, Nayib Bukele , from the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA), won the 2019 presidential election ending 10 years of FMLN rule. He was the first president since Duarte to not be a member of either ARENA or FMLN. He was the second president from Palestinian descent, after Saca. He

1953-519: The first designated successor to the presidency, and Barrios as the second designated successor. Additionally, Barrios was appointed as minister of external relations on 31 March 1858. On 24 June 1858, Barrios assumed the presidency in an acting capacity when Santín temporarily left politics due to illness. On 14 September 1858, Barrios ordered Morazán's body to be exhumed from its resting place in Cojutepeque to be moved to San Salvador , where it

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2016-536: The first president of ARENA. ARENA won the presidential elections in 1989, 1994 , 1999 , and 2004 . Its presidents were Alfredo Cristiani , Armando Calderón Sol , Francisco Flores , and Antonio Saca . The Civil War ended in 1992 and the FMLN became a legal political party in accordance to the Chapultepec Peace Accords . In 20 years of government, El Salvador was characterized by the privatization of national services such as coffee, telecommunications,

2079-508: The following ministries, each led by a minister: The Ministry of Defence of El Salvador commands the armed forces , consisting of the following branches: The Salvadoran legislature is a unicameral body. It is made up of originally 84, now 60 deputies , all of whom are elected by direct popular vote according to closed-list proportional representation to serve three-year terms and are eligible for immediate re-election. Of these, 64 are elected in 14 multi-seat constituencies , corresponding to

2142-570: The following month. On 7 June 1857, Barrios began a coup d'état against Campo, moving 1,500 soldiers of the first division to the port city of La Libertad , and the following day, moved the division to San Salvador. Campo declared Barrios to be a traitor and ordered General Ramón Belloso to attack Barrios' soldiers on 12 June 1857. Barrios surrendered to Campo on 14 June 1857. On 7 February 1858, Miguel Santín del Castillo became president of El Salvador. He appointed Guzmán, Barrios' father-in-law, as his vice president . He named Lorenzo Zepeda as

2205-561: The government declared a state of siege. In June 1865, Barrios returned to El Salvador with 800 rifles on the ship Manuela Planas sailing under the American flag with hopes of seizing the presidency by force, however, his ship was damaged by a lightning strike and was forced to divert for El Realejo , Nicaragua. He and his ship were seized by the Nicaraguan government after his documentation papers were deemed to be forgeries. Diplomats from El Salvador to Nicaragua to demand his extradition, and as

2268-454: The government's declaration that found Barrios guilty of high treason and declared him a traitor. In 1865, Dueñas broke up the department of San Miguel into three smaller departments— La Unión , San Miguel, and Usulután —to reduce its size and influence, and Barrios retained high support there. On 15 May 1865, Cabañas attempted a rebellion in San Miguel to restore Barrios as president, and

2331-437: The last six months "before the beginning of the presidential term". The constitution prohibits presidents from serving three or more terms. The constitution mandates the country's armed forces to intervene in the country's politics if a president seeks illegal re-election. In May 2021, the Legislative Assembly removed and replaced the five justices of the Supreme Court of Justice 's Constitutional Chamber. In September 2021,

2394-686: The late-1820s to the early-1840s. He continued his military career in El Salvador where he fought during Malespín's War in the mid-1840s, the Guatemalan–Salvadoran War in the early-1850s, and the Filibuster War in the mid-1850s. As minister of internal affairs in 1857, Barrios attempted a coup d'état against President Rafael Campo but failed. Despite his attempted coup, he was appointed as minister of external affairs in January 1858 by President Miguel Santín del Castillo . When Santín left

2457-408: The mid 1800s. Since 1983, the constitution has permitted non-consecutive re-election once, and since 2021, the Supreme Court of Justice has interpreted the constitution as allowing immediate re-election once; presidents are only allowed to serve up to two terms. Each 1 June, the president is accountable to the Legislative Assembly for the contributions and government development that the president,

2520-636: The new justices ruled that constitution in fact permits immediate re-election, arguing that the constitution reads that individual who served as president prior to the incumbent term was actually prohibited from seeking re-election rather than the incumbent president. This interpretation of the constitution was criticized as unconstitutional by lawyers, politicians, and activists. The only six presidents in Salvadoran history have successfully been re-elected: Doroteo Vasconcelos , Francisco Dueñas , Santiago González , Rafael Zaldívar , Maximiliano Hernández Martínez , and Bukele. The vice president of El Salvador

2583-663: The pension system, the National Bank, the Electric Power Service, among others. In 2001, the Economic Dollarization System was carried out in the country, a measure adopted by then President Francisco Flores which would have great long-term consequences for the Salvadoran economy and adopted the US dollar as legal currency. Mauricio Funes won the 2009 presidential election ending 20 years of ARENA rule and marked

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2646-417: The presidency once again showed dictatorial instability and military governments began to be established to the point of creating a republic with military authoritarianism which would end in 1982. In 1950, Lieutenant Colonel Óscar Osorio constitutionally became the president of the Republic and a new constitution was drafted where the presidential term would be 6 years and begin and end on 14 September. Osorio

2709-409: The presidency due to illness on 24 June 1858, Barrios assumed office as provisional president. Santín resumed his presidency on 17 September 1858 and appointed Barrios as minister of internal and external affairs three days later. In January 1859, Santín and Barrios both resigned from their positions and Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán , Barrios' father-in-law, became president. Eventually, Guzmán resigned and

2772-487: The presidency under the same one year restriction, as are the vice president, anyone designated by the Legislative Assembly as a presidential designate , and the incumbent president's fourth-degree relatives. Active military personnel, former military personnel who had not yet been retired for three years, and the clergy are also prohibited from seeking the presidency. During the 1800s and early 1900s, very few presidential elections were free and fair and political violence

2835-425: The presidential terms on 1 March. In 1913, before the death of Manuel Enrique Araujo , a family dynasty would begin. The Meléndez-Quiñonez Dynasty lasted 18 years until Arturo Araujo became president. In 1931, a coup d'état led by Vice President General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez overthrew Arturo Araujo. This dictatorial government would establish the foundations of a rigid and totally militarized nation. It

2898-521: The republic suffered a constant series of provisional governments that brought many leaders to power. In 1858, Captain General Gerardo Barrios became president in which his government gave entrance to the "French Bread". He resigned from power in 1863 and Francisco Dueñas became president. It was not until the 1886 constitution of the El Salvador was ratified when the presidential term is increased from two to four years, beginning and ending

2961-541: The vice president and the Council of Ministers developed from the beginning of the presidential term. In 1824, the state of El Salvador drafted its first constitution which created the office of Head of State, the precursor of the presidency. When El Salvador declared independence from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1841, its new constitution created the office of President of El Salvador. In 1841, El Salvador

3024-444: Was court-martialed and sentenced to death . Barrios was executed by a firing squad on 29 August 1865. Barrios is considered to be a national hero and has many locations and institutions named after him. José Gerardo Barrios Espinoza was born to José María Barrios and Petrona Espinoza de Barrios; his paternal grandparents were Pedro Joaquín Barrios and Margarita Cisneros Avila, both of Spanish descent . His place and date of birth

3087-444: Was executed by a firing squad five hours later on 29 August 1865. The New York Times described his execution as a "barbarous act" and the Nicaraguan government criticized Barrios' execution as being in bad faith. The government lifted the state of siege on 31 August 1865. In 1882, when a monument to Morazán was inaugurated, Barrios was given a tribute due to their shared ideology of Central American unification. In 1910, Barrios

3150-497: Was a Salvadoran military officer and politician who served as president of El Salvador on three occasions between June 1858 and his overthrow in October 1863. Born in 1813, Barrios was taught various fields of education by his grandfather and a family friend, who also instilled in him his liberal ideals he held throughout his life. As a teenager, Barrios fought for the Federal Republic of Central America under Francisco Morazán from

3213-550: Was assassinated and Barrios sought to influence the succeeding liberal government. Barrios' influence in Honduras was opposed by the Guatemalan government, and both Barrios and Carrera issued personal insults against each other; Barrios referred to Carrera as "the savage" and Guatemalan writers mocked Barrios as lame and pompous. In 1863, El Salvador and Guatemala went to war . In February 1863, Salvadoran forces led by Barrios defeated

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3276-418: Was buried following a religious ceremony on 17 September 1858. He left office the following day. On 20 September 1858, Santín appointed Barrios as minister of interior and exterior relations and as general commander of the state. Santín ordered Barrios to resign from his positions, to which Barrios responded he would only do so if Santín also resigned. On 19 January 1859, Santín and Barrios both resigned, and

3339-434: Was common. During the 1950s, the president was elected through first-past-the-post voting , and during the 1960s and 1970s, the Legislative Assembly elected the president if no candidate received an absolute majority. Since the ratification of the 1983 constitution, a presidential candidate must receive an absolute majority (50%   +   1) to win a presidential election; if no candidate receives an absolute majority,

3402-452: Was constituted as an independent and sovereign nation after the rupture of the Federal Republic of Central America in 1838. At that time, the legislative body created a constitution to legitimize the nation of El Salvador and also named Juan Lindo provisional president of the Republic of El Salvador on 2 February 1841. It was not until 26 September 1842 Juan José Guzmán was elected by the people as President of El Salvador. From that moment,

3465-692: Was declared by the Salvadoran government to be a national hero . Various locations and institutions in El Salvador are named after Barrios. On 29 August 1909, the Bolívar Plaza, San Salvador's central plaza which includes the San Salvador Cathedral and the National Palace , was renamed to the Plaza Gerardo Barrios . An equestrian status of Barrios was installed in that plaza in 1910. In 1911, President Manuel Enrique Araujo established

3528-465: Was inaugurated on 1 June 2019. According to the 1983 constitution and the Law of Policial Parties, a candidate for the presidency must be at least 30 years old. A candidate must also be either a Salvadoran citizen by birth or have a parent who is a Salvadoran citizen. Candidates cannot have had their rights as a citizen suspended within the 6 years prior to an election, and all candidates must be affiliated with

3591-631: Was known as the president of the social programs since he implemented and founded programs such as the Urban Housing Institute (IVU), the Autonomous Port Executive Commission (CEPA) among others that benefited the nation. In 1960, a coup d'état overthrew President José María Lemus which led to the formation of a Junta of Government which would later be overthrown by the Civic-Military Directory in 1961. This

3654-459: Was not until 1939 when General Martínez called for a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution which established that the presidential term would be increased from 4 to 6 years and would begin and end on 1 January. During his presidency, Martínez initiated La Matanza which killed 25,000 indigenous peoples. Martínez would be overthrown 12 years later in 1944 and General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez became provisional president. From that moment,

3717-560: Was only a teenager. Barrios also served as a member of the Federal Congress of the federal republic from 1836 to 1838. Barrios was a coquimbo , a liberal who fought until the very end of the second civil war and fled on the ship of the same name after Morazán was executed in 1842. In 1844 and 1845, Barrios participated in the overthrow of President Francisco Malespín . During the 1840s and 1850s, Barrios visited Europe and developed estates in eastern El Salvador. On 24 January 1850,

3780-585: Was replaced by José María Peralta on 15 February 1859, who himself resigned on 12 March 1859 and was replaced by Barrios. Barrios ran unopposed and won the 1859 presidential election , and began a six-yer term on 1 February 1860. During his presidency, Barrios worked to improve the country's education system and reduce the influence of the Catholic Church . In 1863, conservatives joined a Guatemalan invasion of El Salvador to depose Barrios. Although Barrios defeated Guatemalan soldiers under Rafael Carrera at

3843-502: Was taught the Spanish language , geography, American and European history, mathematics, astronomy, and physics by Pedro Joaquin Barrios (his paternal grandfather) and a family friend. They instilled in him his liberal ideals which he held throughout his life. Barrios was religious. Barrios married Adelaida Guzmán Saldós in 1843. Guzmán Saldós, who was 17 years old at the time of her marriage,

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3906-437: Was the case until the constitutional order was reestablished and another constitution was created in 1962 which would bring with it significant presidential reforms. From that moment, the presidential term would last 5 years and begin and end on 1 July. On 15 October 1979, the last coup d'état in Salvadoran history took place where a group of young soldiers and officers overthrew General Carlos Humberto Romero . The coup marked

3969-477: Was the daughter of Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán , the president of El Salvador from 1845–1846 and in 1859, and Paula Saldós. Their marriage produced no children. As a liberal, Barrios was a proponent of Central American reunification . Barrios fought for Francisco Morazán , the president of the Federal Republic of Central America , during the First and Second Central American Civil Wars beginning in 1828 when he

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