Former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes, Convicted in Absentia, Dies in Exile in Nicaragua at 65

Jan 22, 2025, 07:31 AM

Former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes, who had been living in exile in Nicaragua since 2016, died at the age of 65 due to a severe chronic illness, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health announced. Funes, who served as president from 2009 to 2014, had fled to Nicaragua after facing corruption charges in his home country. He was convicted in absentia in El Salvador, receiving a 14-year sentence in May 2023 for involvement in illegal groups and failing to fulfill his duties during a gang truce, and an additional 8-year sentence in June 2024 for money laundering related to a public works project. Funes had been granted Nicaraguan citizenship in 2019, which protected him from extradition.