Mauricio Funes facts for kids

Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena (18 October 1959 – 21 January 2025) was a Salvadoran politician and journalist. He served as the 79th president of El Salvador from 2009 to 2014. Funes won the 2009 presidential election as the candidate of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) party. He took office on 1 June 2009.

Funes lived outside El Salvador in Nicaragua from 2016 until his death. This was due to questions about his actions while in office. In July 2023, he faced actions from the U.S. State Department. This followed his conviction for issues related to his time as president. Funes passed away in Nicaragua in 2025.

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Mauricio Funes
Funes in 2008
79th President of El Salvador
In office 1 June 2009 – 1 June 2014
Vice President	Salvador Sánchez Cerén
Preceded by	Antonio Saca
Succeeded by	Salvador Sánchez Cerén
Personal details
Born	Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena (1959-10-18)18 October 1959 San Salvador, El Salvador
Died	21 January 2025(2025-01-21) (aged 65) Managua, Nicaragua
Citizenship	El Salvador Nicaragua (from 2019)
Political party	FMLN
Spouse	Vanda Pignato ​ ​ (m. 1993; Separated 2014)​
Domestic partner	Ada Mitchell Guzmán (2014–2025)
Children	4
Information on Legal Matters
Criminal status	Deceased
Criminal charge	Issues related to public funds and taxes
Penalty	Found responsible for actions during his presidency Faced legal consequences for financial matters

Early Life and Education

Funes was born in San Salvador, El Salvador. He completed his high school studies at the Externado San José. He later attended Universidad Centroamericana. However, he did not complete his degree there.

Both of these schools are run by the Jesuit order. Funes often spoke about his connection to the Jesuits who were killed in El Salvador in 1989. This event was very important in shaping his professional and personal life. In 1994, he received an award from Columbia University. This award recognized his efforts to promote press freedom.

Career in Journalism

Before becoming involved in politics of El Salvador, Funes worked as a journalist. He hosted a popular interview show on television. He appeared on Channel 12 and CNN en Español. He worked as a correspondent for CNN from 1991 to 2007.

Funes also hosted local news programs. These programs often criticized the governments that were in power at the time. He was a reporter during the Salvadoran Civil War. During this time, he interviewed leaders of the leftist rebel groups. This experience made him more understanding of leftist ideas in El Salvador. He considered himself to be a center-left journalist.

Presidential Campaign and Term

Funes was chosen as the candidate for the FMLN party on 28 September 2007. He ran in the 2009 Salvadoran presidential election. His opponent was Rodrigo Ávila, from the Nationalist Republican Alliance party. Funes won the election with 51.32% of the votes.

He became the second president in El Salvador's history with left-leaning views. He was also the first FMLN leader who had not fought in the Salvadoran civil war. His inauguration on 1 June 2009 was a historic moment. It was the first peaceful transfer of power since the end of the Civil War.

Promises as a Candidate

During his campaign, Funes promised to follow moderate political ideas. He said he would improve programs for health care in rural areas. He also promised to work on crime prevention. Some political opponents worried that his election would bring more influence from Venezuela. However, Funes stated that strengthening ties with Central and North America would be his main foreign policy goal. He also promised to keep the U.S. dollar as El Salvador's official currency.

Actions as President

After becoming president, Funes's government started many social programs. These programs aimed to reduce poverty and inequality. They included help for the poorest communities. Public health care fees were removed. Schoolchildren received free shoes, meals, and uniforms. Many families also received legal ownership of their land.

The government also provided monthly cash payments and job training for people in extreme poverty. Pensions were created for elderly citizens. Money was invested in improving school buildings. A rule was made against discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation in public services. Groups were formed to help represent the interests of El Salvador's native communities. A community health plan was started, and teachers' salaries were increased. Efforts were also made to reduce illiteracy.

On 1 June 2009, Funes restored diplomatic relations with Cuba. El Salvador had stopped relations with Cuba 50 years earlier, after the Cuban Revolution.

In November 2009, President Funes faced a major natural disaster. Heavy rains from Hurricane Ida caused severe damage. Communities in Cuscatlán, San Salvador, and San Vicente were greatly affected. A town called Verapaz was buried by rocks from a nearby volcano. The government's Civil Protection agency helped people who lost their homes. They used public schools as shelters. The Army and the Red Cross of El Salvador rescued many people.

A pension system was created for soldiers and guerrillas injured during the civil war. On the anniversary of the peace agreement, Mauricio Funes spoke on behalf of the state. He acknowledged the Armed Forces' involvement in war crimes. He also apologized to the victims.

Funes faced criticism for not having a clear plan to fight rising crime. In response, he ordered the army to help the police.

Personal Life

Mauricio Funes's brother was killed by police during the Salvadoran Civil War. His oldest son, Alejandro Funes Velasco, passed away in Paris in 2007 at age 27.

Funes was married to Vanda Pignato. She served as his first lady and worked in his government. They had one son, Gabriel. In October 2014, Funes publicly shared that he and Pignato had separated.

Funes was granted political asylum by the Government of Nicaragua. This included his partner, Ada Mitchell Guzmán Sigüenza, and his three sons. In July 2019, Funes and his family became citizens of Nicaragua. They had been living there since 2016.

Death

Funes passed away on 21 January 2025, in Managua, Nicaragua. He was 65 years old. He had been dealing with a serious long-term illness. He had a heart attack on 8 January and was hospitalized. His family decided he would be buried in Nicaragua.

Images for kids

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  Funes in 2008

See also

In Spanish: Mauricio Funes para niños