Jan
Politics, Rights for Youth and Women
Organizaciones se pronuncian ante la renuncia de “La choly” / Statement about Salvador Alas’ resignation
EL PRONUNCIAMIENTO EN ESPAÑOL ESTÁ ABAJO
President Nayib Bukele announced on January 13th that he eliminated from the government cabinet, the position of Commissioner for Youth Projects, which was held by the radio host Salvador Alas, known as “La Choly.”
“I wish my friend Salvador all the best in his return to broadcasting”, Bukele mentioned in one of his tweets. It is rumored that Alas will go on to manage Grupo Radial Samix, a consortium of radios formerly owned by former president Elías Antonio Saca, that is now managed by the State’s National Council of Property Administration (CONAB), after Saca was sent to jail for corruption. (SOURCE)
Statement by the Salvadoran organized youth regarding the resignation of the former Presidential Commissioner for Youth Projects, Salvador Alas (La Choly)
On January 13, President Nayib Bukele announced on his Twitter account that on December 23, 2020, he accepted the resignation of Salvador Alas as Commissioner of Youth and that his position would not be replaced by anyone and it will be eliminated from the structure of the Presidency.
The announcement reflects what the different youth organizations and civil society have been denouncing about the creation of such position, which responded only to the old practices of political patronage and buying of favors with public funds, without benefits for young people.
Salvador Alas, was sworn in by the President of the Republic on July 2, 2019, with a monthly salary of $6,000.00 USD, without any previous work or experience with young people, other than being “Winner of Our Stars 2006 as Best Producer in the category of Youth Musical Entertainment”, according to his resume on the presidency’s transparency website.
Given this situation of indiscriminate use of public funds to pay for political favors, the youth organizations state that:
- The resignation of Salvador Alas was an urgent need and a pending debt to the Salvadoran youth, which had been demanded for months by organizations and civil society through campaigns on social media such as #CholyRenuncia. Therefore, we urge the presidency to prioritize the principle of suitability of the person to assume a position and thus comply with minimum requirements.
- We demand that the salary of the now former commissioner be used for the benefit of real projects for youth, which have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- We demand a detailed report on the objectives and goals achieved by Salvador Alas as Presidential Commissioner for Youth Projects, as well as considering the possibility of returning the money that he was awarded in the form of salary if he is not able to demonstrate work done to benefit young people, which amounts to approximately $102,000.00 USD without counting other expenses such as security, vehicles, fuel, among others.
San Salvador, January 14, 2021
