The San Salvador Special Criminal Court delivered a landmark judgment this week, sentencing former president Mauricio Funes to fourteen years in prison over ceasefire arrangements. In a separate ruling, the court imposed an eighteen-year sentence on David Victoriano Munguía Payés, the former Minister of Justice and Security.
The expert judge’s verdict, as summarized by the Salvadoran newspaper El Mundo, identifies eight years for crimes against illegal groups and six years for misconduct for the former president. Munguía Payés faces an eighteen-year total, with eight years for illegal groups, six years for abuse of power, and four years for arbitrary acts.
The decision rests on testimonies from witnesses, expert analyses, and documents deemed valid and appropriate in establishing that crimes occurred and that those crimes were linked to the defendants.
Two political leaders were alleged to have information and influence over illicit activities conducted under agreements with the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 gangs in 2011 and 2013.
The record notes meetings with gang representatives, visits by women to prisons, orchestras performing at social events, transfers of gang members between facilities, and visits by mediators to prisons. All of these actions were carried out without following proper protocol and were deemed proven in the record.
The prison directors were described as lacking the authority to authorize these illicit actions. The report stresses that the President and the minister were aware of the details of these arrangements.
Historical decision
From the prosecutor’s office, officials highlighted the historic nature of the ruling. A spokesperson described the decision as a turning point, given that the accused include a former President now held accountable for deliberations connected to criminal activity. A video released by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) echoed the satisfaction with the outcome and underscored the importance of holding leaders accountable for actions that endangered public safety, according to the report (attribution: Fiscalía General de la República).
Rodolfo Delgado, head of the FGR, offered congratulations on the decision, asserting that the proceedings corroborated claims that the two former officials—who were trusted with safeguarding Salvadorans—were tied to acts driven by electoral interests and misleading associations with gang activity. The statement highlighted ongoing efforts to pursue accountability and to address the human cost of violence (attribution: Fiscalía General de la República).
Munguía Payés’s camp rejected the verdict, labeling it revenge and a political imprisonment. A representative said the charges were unfounded and politically motivated simply because he served as Security Minister (attribution: Munguía Payés camp communications).
The case has sparked debate about the strength and interpretation of the evidence. Observers pointed to a document trail that includes references to four principal figures in the investigation, two prosecutors and two primary witnesses who reportedly withdrew their participation after being linked to gang affiliations. This factor has fueled discussions about the reliability and context of witness testimony, and the overall evidentiary picture for the court’s findings (attribution: judicial observers notes).