Jan
Politics
Salvadoran Government refuses to pay to municipalities
The Salvadoran government has not transferred 8% of the national budget to the 262 municipalities for eight months. The amount owed is approximately $ 160 million. This amount is known as “FODES”.
The Salvadoran president argues that there are not enough funds and the municipalities have stated that this is the president’s way to pressure the deputies to approve international loans. (SOURCE).
Given this situation, on December 23, ARENA deputies Martha Evelyn Batres and Carlos García Saade, and the mayor of Soyapango, Juan Pablo Álvarez, filed a complaint in the General Attorney’s Office against Juan Neftali Murillo Ruiz in his capacity as General Director of the Treasury for “arbitrary acts and breach of duties.”
ELSALVADOR.COM reports that, on the same day the complaint against Murillo was filed, the President of the Republic appointed him Deputy Minister of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance, thereby granting him immunity. The Official Gazette states that his appointment is “ad honorem“, however, Murillo’s new position means that, in order to be brought before a court, he must follow a procedure to lose his status at the Legislative Assembly.
In a political event of Nuevas Ideas in La Unión, the Minister of Finance, Alejandro Zelaya Villalobos sarcastically said that he would “maybe” pay those funds to the municipalities after the (February) elections.
The case is similar to that of Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, who despite the fact that the Organic Law of the National Civil Police prevents him from having another position in the public administration, was appointed as Vice Minister of Security by Bukele just when the Legislative Assembly was conducting a preliminary hearing process for breach of duties. Arriaza failed to comply with the order to take Alejandro Zelaya to the Legislative Assembly to inform about the use of public funds during the pandemic. According to a judge the order was not properly written and the charges were later dismissed.
Meanwhile, mayors have made various public demonstrations, they have gone to the Constitutional Chamber and have gone to the General Attorney’s Office asking that the government complies with its constitutional duty.
According to the mayors, the lack of funds has brought them many consequences, including not investing in works for their regions, paying salaries to employees, among others.
