Alfredo Cristiani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfredo Cristiani
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Cristiani in London, September 1989
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| 75th President of El Salvador | |
| In office 1 June 1989 – 1 June 1994 |
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| Vice President | José Francisco Merino López |
| Preceded by | José Napoleón Duarte |
| Succeeded by | Armando Calderón Sol |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alfredo Félix Cristiani Burkard
22 November 1947 San Salvador, El Salvador |
| Political party | Nationalist Republican Alliance |
| Spouse | Margarita Llach de Cristiani |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University |
| Profession | politician |
Alfredo Félix Cristiani Burkard (born 22 November 1947) is a Salvadoran politician. He served as the President of El Salvador from 1989 to 1994.
Contents
Life and Career
Alfredo Cristiani was born into a well-off family in San Salvador, El Salvador. His father, Felix Cristiani, was from Italy, and his mother, Margoth Burkard de Cristiani, had Swiss family roots.
He went to the 'Escuela Americana' (American School) in San Salvador. Later, he studied Business Administration at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in the United States. After finishing his studies, he went back to El Salvador. There, he worked in his family's businesses. These included companies dealing with medicines, coffee, and cotton. His family also owned a leading company that produced corn seeds.
In 1970, he married Margarita Llach. They have three children and nine grandchildren.
Political Career
Alfredo Cristiani mostly stayed out of politics until the early 1980s. This was when the Salvadoran Civil War became very serious. As the conflict grew, he joined the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) political party. This party was started by Roberto D'Aubuisson.
In March 1985, D'Aubuisson stepped down as leader after ARENA lost some elections. Cristiani then became the leader of the party in 1988. In the elections held in March 1988, ARENA did very well. They won most of the local votes and 31 out of 60 seats in the Congress. Cristiani himself won one of these seats.
President of El Salvador
In the 1989 presidential election, Alfredo Cristiani was elected President. He won with 53.8% of the votes. When he took office, it was a big moment for El Salvador. It was only the second time in the country's history that the party in power peacefully gave up control to another party. This also started a 20-year period where ARENA held the presidency.
Working with Other Countries
After becoming President, Cristiani and his team traveled to many countries. They visited places like Europe, London, Spain, Italy, the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and all the Central American countries.
The main goal of these trips was to get international support for peace talks. His government was trying to end the civil war. Countries like Venezuela, Mexico, and Spain, along with the United Nations, played an important part in helping with these peace discussions.
Changes at Home
One of Cristiani's biggest achievements was the peace talks with the FMLN, a group involved in the civil war. The Salvadoran Civil War finally ended on January 16, 1992. This happened with the signing of the Chapultepec Peace Accords.
During his time as president, there were also challenges related to human rights.
Economic Changes
President Cristiani also started new economic plans. He began selling off some government-owned businesses to private companies. For example, he started the process of selling Salvadoran banks. His government also supported reducing taxes on goods coming into El Salvador. They also introduced a new tax called the Value Added Tax. Even though tax money coming in was less, the government still spent a lot.
After His Presidency
Alfredo Cristiani left politics in 1994 when his term as president ended. However, he returned as the president of the ARENA party in 2009. This was after the party lost a presidential election for the first time in twenty years.
Youth Penal Code
During President Cristiani's time, a special law for young people was created. This law, called the Youth Penal Code, was approved by the National Assembly. It came into effect on May 6, 1995.
This law helps protect children from being treated like adults in court. If young people between the ages of 12 and 16 commit a crime, they are judged under this special code, not the regular adult law. Originally, the longest a minor could be held for a crime was 5 years. This has since been changed to 7 years.
Images for kids
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President William Jefferson Clinton with Presidents of Central American nations. Second on left is President Alfredo Cristiani of El Salvador.
See also
In Spanish: Alfredo Cristiani para niños
