Antonio Saca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonio Saca
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Saca in 2004
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| 78th President of El Salvador | |
| In office 1 June 2004 – 1 June 2009 |
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| Vice President | Ana Vilma de Escobar |
| Preceded by | Francisco Flores |
| Succeeded by | Mauricio Funes |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Elías Antonio Saca González
9 March 1965 Santa Elena, Usulután, El Salvador |
| Political party | Nationalist Republican Alliance (until 2009) Unity Movement (2013–2014) |
| Spouse |
Ana Ligia Mixco
(m. 1989) |
| Alma mater | Central American University |
Elías Antonio "Tony" Saca González was born on March 9, 1965. He is a Salvadoran politician who served as the President of El Salvador from June 1, 2004, to June 1, 2009. After his time as president, he faced legal issues regarding how public funds were managed.
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Early Life and Career
Antonio Saca was born in Santa Elena, Usulutan, El Salvador. His family has roots in Palestine, with his father's side coming from Catholic immigrants from Bethlehem who moved to El Salvador in the early 1900s. His mother's family is the Flores family.
Before becoming president, Saca worked as a journalist, focusing on sports radio. He was also a successful businessman. He studied at the University of Central America. Saca is an Evangelical Protestant and has shown strong connections with Protestant churches in El Salvador and the United States.
He married Ana Ligia Mixco Sol de Saca on August 11, 1989. They have three children named Gerardo Antonio, Jose Alejandro, and Christian Eduardo.
Becoming President (2004-2009)
On March 21, 2004, Antonio Saca was elected President of El Salvador. He took office on June 1, 2004, following President Francisco Flores. Both Saca and Flores were members of the Nationalist Republican Alliance party, often called ARENA. This party is known for its conservative ideas.
During the election, some people worried that Saca did not have much political experience. In the election, Saca won against Schafik Hándal, who was the candidate for the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) party. The election results were:
- Antonio Saca (ARENA) 57.7%
- Schafik Handal (FMLN) 35.6%
- Héctor Silva (CDU-PDC) 3.9%
- Others 2.8%
In August 2004, the President of the Republic of China, Chen Shui-bian, gave President Saca a special award called the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon.
Later, in December 2009, the ARENA party removed Saca from their group. This happened because they suspected he helped some ARENA lawmakers join a new party, the Grand Alliance for National Unity. This new party worked with the FMLN government, which was in power at the time.
Key Policies and Decisions
President Saca started a program called the "Solidarian Network plan" in October 2005. This plan received help from countries like Spain. Its goal was to help communities that were living in poverty. A map was made to show poor areas, and families in these areas received financial help each month. The plan began in places like Jicalapa.
Saca supported policies that encouraged free markets and strong ties with the United States. These policies were similar to those of the previous president, Francisco Flores. Saca was one of the few leaders in Latin America who sent troops to Iraq. El Salvador's military involvement in Iraq ended in early 2009.
Many people believed that Saca's friendly attitude towards the U.S. was because he had support from the Republican Party and the George W. Bush Administration during his 2004 election campaign. Some thought that the U.S. right wing felt confident Saca would lead a government that matched their interests.
The FMLN party accused the United States of getting involved in the election. They said that some high-ranking U.S. officials warned that relations with El Salvador would be affected if Handal, the leftist candidate, won. This idea was strengthened when ARENA suggested that the U.S. might deport Salvadorans living there if the leftist candidate won.
Later Political Activities
Saca ran for president again in the election on February 2, 2014. Even though he is generally on the right side of politics, Saca and his supporters in the National Assembly sometimes worked with the FMLN to vote against ARENA. This gave him some political influence. He ran as part of a group of smaller parties called UNIDAD. This group included parties from both the center-left and center-right. However, he did not win the election.
Legal Investigations and Outcomes
After his presidency, Antonio Saca faced several legal investigations concerning how public money was managed during his time in office.
In October 2016, Saca was taken into custody as part of an investigation into public funds. Prosecutors looked into claims that he and other former officials had misused a large amount of money from government accounts. Several other former officials from his government were also part of this investigation.
In September 2018, a court found Saca responsible for misusing public funds. He was ordered to return a significant amount of money to the Salvadoran government. In September 2019, he faced further legal action for trying to influence a court employee.
In December 2019, the Salvadoran Supreme Court confirmed the earlier decision regarding the misuse of public funds and ordered him to return the money. The court also confirmed similar findings against some of his former officials and employees, who were also ordered to return money.
In January 2021, Saca and his wife, Ana Ligia de Saca, were found responsible for illegal enrichment and were ordered to repay money to the government. In June 2021, Ana Ligia de Saca and her brother, Oscar Edgardo Sol Mixco, were also found responsible for misusing funds and were ordered to repay money to the Salvadoran government.
See also
In Spanish: Elías Antonio Saca para niños
- List of heads of state and government who were later imprisoned
Images for kids
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Saca in 2004
