As part of the case known as the “Truce,” former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes was sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison by a specialized court in San Salvador. The case refers to the negotiation his government carried out with gangs to reduce the homicide rate in exchange for benefits for gang leaders in prisons.
Funes, who governed from 2009 to 2014, was sentenced to eight years in prison for the crime of belonging to illicit groups and an additional six years for breach of duty, for a total sentence of 14 years, reported local newspaper El Mundo.
A judge stated that there was sufficient evidence, among other facts, of Funes’ meetings with the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) and the Barrio 18 gang, as well as the entry of mediators into the prisons without complying with the corresponding protocols. It was argued that both the president and the minister had full knowledge of everything that was going on, with the aim of reducing crime.
In relation to the case, the former Minister of Justice and Security, David MunguÃa Payés, was also sentenced to 18 years in prison. MunguÃa Payés was charged with the same charges plus an additional four years for arbitrary acts.
El Salvador’s Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado celebrated on Twitter that both former officials, who were responsible for protecting Salvadorans, were shown to have negotiated with gangs in exchange for electoral favors, acting as if they were gang members.
Funes announced on social networks that he will comment on the case on the program ‘Raúl Palacios Presenta’ at 6:00 p.m. local time.