President of El Salvador facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of El Salvador
Presidential seal
Incumbent Nayib Bukele since 1 June 2019
Executive branch of the government of El Salvador
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Casa Presidencial
Appointer	Elected by the citizenry
Term length	5 years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of El Salvador
Formation	22 February 1841
First holder	Juan José Guzmán
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Vice President of El Salvador
Salary	US$5,181 per month (2017)
Website

The president of the Republic of El Salvador is the main leader of El Salvador. This person is both the head of state (the country's official representative) and the head of government (the person in charge of running the country). The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, meaning they lead the country's military.

The role of president in El Salvador was created in 1841. Nayib Bukele has been the President of El Salvador since June 1, 2019.

Since 1962, presidents serve for five years. For most of El Salvador's history, presidents were not allowed to be re-elected right away. However, since 1983, the rules have changed. Now, a president can be re-elected once, but not immediately after their first term. But in 2021, the Supreme Court said that presidents can be re-elected immediately for one more term. So, a president can serve up to two terms in total.

Every year on June 1, the president reports to the Legislative Assembly. They explain what the government has done since the start of their term.

History of the Presidency

Early Beginnings

In 1824, El Salvador wrote its first constitution. This document created the role of "Head of State," which was like an early version of the president. When El Salvador became fully independent from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1841, its new constitution officially created the "President of El Salvador" position.

In 1841, El Salvador became an independent country. The government created a constitution and named Juan Lindo as the temporary president on February 2, 1841. Later, on September 26, 1842, Juan José Guzmán was chosen by the people to be the first elected President of El Salvador. After this, the country often had many temporary leaders.

In 1858, Captain General Gerardo Barrios became president. He resigned in 1863, and Francisco Dueñas took over.

The 1886 constitution changed the presidential term from two years to four years. Terms would start and end on March 1. In 1913, after the death of Manuel Enrique Araujo, a family called the Meléndez-Quiñonez Dynasty began to hold power. This family ruled for 18 years until Arturo Araujo became president.

Military Rule in El Salvador

In 1931, Vice President General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez led a takeover of the government, removing Arturo Araujo. This new government was very strict and controlled by the military. In 1939, General Martínez created a new constitution. This constitution made the presidential term six years long, starting and ending on January 1. During his time as president, Martínez was involved in a very sad event called La Matanza, where many indigenous people were harmed. Martínez was removed from power in 1944, and General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez became the temporary president.

After this, the presidency continued to be unstable, with many military leaders taking control. This period of military rule lasted until 1982. In 1950, Lieutenant Colonel Óscar Osorio became president. A new constitution was written, setting the presidential term to six years, starting and ending on September 14. Osorio was known for starting many social programs that helped the country.

In 1960, President José María Lemus was overthrown. A group called the Junta of Government took over, but they were also overthrown by the Civic-Military Directory in 1961. Things became stable again in 1962 when a new constitution was created. From then on, the presidential term was five years long, starting and ending on July 1.

On October 15, 1979, the last military takeover in El Salvador's history happened. A group of young soldiers removed General Carlos Humberto Romero. This event marked the beginning of the Salvadoran Civil War, a difficult time that lasted from 1979 to 1992. A group called the Revolutionary Government Junta ruled El Salvador and fought against a rebel group called the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). The Junta ended in 1982, and Álvaro Magaña became president.

Modern Presidency and Elections

The 1983 constitution set presidential terms to five years, starting and ending on June 1. The civil war made the country's politics very unstable.

President José Napoleón Duarte led the government during the civil war from 1984 to 1989. In 1989, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) won the presidential election. Alfredo Cristiani became the first president from the ARENA party. ARENA won several more elections in 1994, 1999, and 2004. Their presidents included Alfredo Cristiani, Armando Calderón Sol, Francisco Flores, and Antonio Saca.

The Civil War ended in 1992. The FMLN, the former rebel group, became a legal political party after the Chapultepec Peace Accords.

For 20 years, El Salvador saw many national services, like coffee and phone companies, become privately owned. In 2001, the country started using the US dollar as its official money. This change, made by President Francisco Flores, had big effects on El Salvador's economy for a long time.

Mauricio Funes won the 2009 presidential election. This ended 20 years of ARENA party rule and marked the first time the FMLN party had a president. Salvador Sánchez Cerén became the second FMLN president in 2014, after a very close election against Norman Quijano.

In 2019, Nayib Bukele, from the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) party, won the presidential election. This ended 10 years of FMLN rule. He was the first president since Duarte who was not from either ARENA or FMLN. He was also the second president with Palestinian family roots, after Antonio Saca. He officially became president on June 1, 2019.

How Presidents Are Chosen

Who Can Be President?

To become president, a person must be at least 30 years old. They must also be a Salvadoran citizen by birth, or have a parent who is a Salvadoran citizen. Candidates cannot have had their citizen rights taken away in the six years before an election. All candidates must belong to a political party that is registered with the Supreme Electoral Court.

Some people are not allowed to run for president. For example, the leader of the Legislative Assembly or the Supreme Court cannot run during the year before a presidential term starts. Cabinet ministers, their assistants, and heads of government groups also cannot run during that same year. The current vice president and close relatives of the current president are also not allowed to run. People in the military (both active and recently retired) and religious leaders also cannot seek the presidency.

The Election Process

In the 1800s and early 1900s, presidential elections were often not fair, and there was a lot of political violence. In the 1950s, the person with the most votes won. In the 1960s and 1970s, if no one got more than half the votes, the Legislative Assembly chose the president.

Since the 1983 constitution, a presidential candidate must win more than half of all votes (50% plus 1) to become president. If no one gets enough votes in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes have a second election within one month. This is called a second round or runoff election.

Presidential Rules and Powers

What the President Does

The president is part of the executive branch of the Salvadoran government, along with the vice president and the cabinet. The president chooses the cabinet ministers, their assistants, and the governors for El Salvador's 14 departments (like states). The president leads the Armed Forces of El Salvador and handles El Salvador's relationships with other countries.

The president can suggest new laws to the Legislative Assembly. They can also reject (veto) laws passed by the Assembly. However, the Assembly can still pass the law if two-thirds of its members vote for it again. The president can ask the Supreme Court to check if a law is constitutional. If the court says the law is fine, the president must sign it.

Checks and Balances

The Legislative Assembly has ways to limit the president's power. The president needs the Assembly's permission to leave El Salvador. The president must also report to the Assembly if asked, except for military secrets. At the start of each year, the president talks to the Assembly about what the government did the year before. The Legislative Assembly can also remove the president from office with a two-thirds vote. The president cannot approve international agreements without the Assembly's approval.

The length of presidential terms has changed over time. From 1841 to 1864, terms were two years. Then they became four years. In 1939, terms were extended to six years. Since 1962, presidential terms have been five years long.

Re-election Rules

For most of El Salvador's history, presidents were not allowed to be re-elected right away, or sometimes not at all. The 1841 constitution allowed presidents to run again, but only after someone else had served a full term. The 1864 constitution allowed presidents to be re-elected immediately. But the 1871 constitution changed it back, requiring presidents to wait a full term. The 1872 constitution then banned re-election completely. This ban lasted until 1983.

The 1983 constitution says that people who served as president in the six months before the current term, or in the last six months before the next term, cannot run for re-election. It also says that a president cannot serve three or more terms. The constitution even states that the armed forces should get involved if a president tries to get re-elected illegally.

In May 2021, the Legislative Assembly changed the judges in the Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber. In September 2021, the new judges decided that the constitution actually allows immediate re-election. They said the rule meant that someone who was president before the current president couldn't run, not the current president themselves. Many lawyers and politicians disagreed, saying this was against the constitution.

Only six presidents in El Salvador's history have been successfully re-elected: Doroteo Vasconcelos, Francisco Dueñas, Santiago González, Rafael Zaldívar, Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, and Nayib Bukele.

Who Takes Over?

If the president cannot serve, the vice president is the first person to take their place. After the vice president, the Legislative Assembly can name up to two "designates" who would be next in line to become president.

List of Presidents

Political parties and other affiliations

     Liberal      Military      Independent      Conservative      National Democratic Party      Salvadoran Laborist Party      National Pro Patria Party      Unification Social Democratic Party      Revolutionary Party of Democratic Unification      National Conciliation Party      Christian Democratic Party      Nationalist Republican Alliance      Grand Alliance for National Unity      Nuevas Ideas

Status

     Denotes acting or provisional head of state

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party		Vice President		Ref.
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
Political Chief of San Salvador (1821–1824)
1		Doctor Pedro Barriere (1768–1827)	—	21 September 1821	28 November 1821	68 days		Independent	Office not established
2		Doctor José Matías Delgado (1767–1832)	—	28 November 1821	9 February 1823	1 year, 73 days		Independent
3		Brigadier General Vicente Filísola (1789–1850)	—	9 February 1823	7 May 1823	87 days		Military
4		Brigadier General Felipe Codallos (1790–1849)	—	7 May 1823	25 May 1823	18 days		Military
–		Consultive Junta	—	25 May 1823	17 June 1823	23 days		Military
–		Mariano Prado (1776–1837) Provisional Political Chief	—	17 June 1823	22 April 1824	310 days		Liberal
Governor of the State of El Salvador (1824–1841)
5		Juan Manuel Rodríguez (1771–1847)	—	22 April 1824	1 October 1824	162 days		Independent	Office not established
6		Mariano Prado (1776–1837)	—	1 October 1824	13 December 1824	73 days		Liberal
7		Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz (1764–1828)	—	13 December 1824	1 November 1826	1 year, 323 days		Liberal		Mariano Prado
–		Mariano Prado (1776–1837) Acting Governor	—	1 November 1826	30 January 1829	2 years, 90 days		Liberal
8		José María Cornejo (1788–1864)	1829	30 January 1829	16 February 1830	1 year, 17 days		Conservative		Brigadier General Nicolás Espinoza
9		José Damián Villacorta (1796–1860)	—	16 February 1830	4 December 1830	291 days		Independent
10		José María Cornejo (1788–1864)	—	4 December 1830	3 April 1832	1 year, 121 days		Conservative
–		Brigadier General Francisco Morazán (1792–1842) Provisional Governor	—	3 April 1832	13 May 1832	40 days		Liberal/Military		Colonel Joaquín de San Martín
11		Colonel Joaquín de San Martín (1770–1854)	—	13 May 1832	25 July 1832	73 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant
12		Mariano Prado (1776–1837)	—	25 July 1832	1 July 1833	341 days		Liberal		Colonel Joaquín de San Martín
13		Colonel Joaquín de San Martín (1770–1854)	1833	1 July 1833	23 June 1834	357 days		Liberal/Military		Colonel Lorenzo González
–		Brigadier General Carlos Salazar Castro (1800–1867) Provisional Governor	—	23 June 1834	13 July 1834	20 days		Military	Office vacant
–		José Gregorio Salazar (1773–1838) Provisional Governor	—	13 July 1834	30 September 1834	79 days		Independent
–		Joaquín Escolán y Balibrera (?–?) Provisional Governor	—	30 September 1834	14 October 1834	14 days		Independent		José María Silva
–		José María Silva (1804–1876) Acting Governor	—	14 October 1834	2 March 1835	139 days		Independent
–		Joaquín Escolán y Balibrera (?–?) Acting Governor	—	2 March 1835	10 April 1835	39 days		Independent	Office vacant
14		Brigadier General Nicolás Espinoza (1795–1845)	1835	10 April 1835	15 November 1835	219 days		Liberal/Military		José María Silva
–		Colonel Francisco Gómez (1796–1838) Acting Governor	—	15 November 1835	1 February 1836	78 days		Independent/Military	Office vacant
15		Diego Vigil (1799–1845)	—	1 February 1836	23 May 1837	1 year, 111 days		Liberal		Timoteo Menéndez
–		Timoteo Menéndez (?–?) Acting Governor	—	23 May 1837	7 June 1837	15 days		Independent
16		Diego Vigil (1799–1845)	—	7 June 1837	6 January 1838	213 days		Liberal
–		Timoteo Menéndez (?–?) Acting Governor	—	6 January 1838	23 May 1839	1 year, 137 days		Independent
–		Colonel Antonio José Cañas (1785–1844) Acting Governor	—	23 May 1839	11 July 1839	49 days		Military	Office vacant
17		Brigadier General Francisco Morazán (1792–1842)	—	11 July 1839	16 February 1840	40 days		Liberal/Military		José María Silva
–		José María Silva (1804–1876) Acting Governor	—	16 February 1840	5 April 1840	49 days		Independent
–		Municipal Council of San Salvador	—	5 April 1840	7 April 1840	2 days		Independent	Office vacant
–		Colonel Antonio José Cañas (1785–1844) Acting Governor	—	7 April 1840	20 September 1840	166 days		Military
–		Norberto Ramírez (1802–1856) Acting Governor	—	20 September 1840	7 January 1841	109 days		Independent
–		Juan Lindo (1790–1857) Provisional Governor	—	7 January 1841	30 January 1841	23 days		Conservative		Pedro José Arce
President of the Republic of El Salvador (1841–present)
–		Juan Lindo (1790–1857) Provisional President	—	30 January 1841	20 June 1841	141 days		Conservative		Pedro José Arce [es]
–		Pedro José Arce [es] (1801–1871) Acting President	—	20 June 1841	28 June 1841	8 days		Independent
18		Juan Lindo (1790–1857)	—	28 June 1841	1 February 1842	218 days		Conservative
–		Brigadier General José Escolástico Marín (?–1846) Acting President	—	1 February 1842	12 April 1842	70 days		Military	Office vacant
19		Brigadier General Juan José Guzmán (1797–1847)	—	12 April 1842	30 June 1842	79 days		Conservative/Military		Pedro José Arce [es]
–		Dionisio Villacorta [es] (?–1846) Acting President	—	30 June 1842	19 July 1842	19 days		Independent
–		Brigadier General José Escolástico Marín (?–1846) Acting President	—	19 July 1842	26 September 1842	69 days		Military
20		Brigadier General Juan José Guzmán (1797–1847)	—	26 September 1842	26 January 1843	122 days		Conservative/Military
–		Pedro José Arce [es] (1801–1871) Acting President	—	26 January 1843	8 March 1843	41 days		Independent
21		Brigadier General Juan José Guzmán (1797–1847)	—	8 March 1843	31 January 1844	329 days		Conservative/Military
–		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1844	7 February 1844	6 days		Independent	Office vacant
22		Brigadier General Francisco Malespín (1806–1846)	1844	7 February 1844	9 May 1844	92 days		Conservative/Military		Luis Ayala
										Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán
–		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	9 May 1844	16 June 1844	38 days		Conservative
23		Brigadier General Francisco Malespín (1806–1846)	—	16 June 1844	25 October 1844	131 days		Conservative/Military
–		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	25 October 1844	16 February 1845	114 days		Conservative
–		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	16 February 1845	25 April 1845	68 days		Independent
–		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	25 April 1845	1 February 1846	282 days		Conservative
–		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1846	21 February 1846	20 days		Independent	Office vacant
24		Doctor Eugenio Aguilar (1804–1879)	1846	21 February 1846	12 July 1846	141 days		Liberal		José Campo
–		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	12 July 1846	21 July 1846	9 days		Independent
25		Doctor Eugenio Aguilar (1804–1879)	—	21 July 1846	1 February 1848	1 year, 195 days		Liberal
–		Tomás Medina (1803–1884) Acting President	—	1 February 1848	3 February 1848	2 days		Independent	Office vacant
–		José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) Acting President	—	3 February 1848	7 February 1848	4 days		Independent		José Félix Quirós
26		Doroteo Vasconcelos (1803–1883)	1848	7 February 1848	26 January 1850	1 year, 353 days		Liberal
–		Ramón Rodríguez (1803–1884) Acting President	—	26 January 1850	1 February 1850	6 days		Independent
–		José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) Acting President	—	1 February 1850	4 February 1850	3 days		Independent
27		Doroteo Vasconcelos (1803–1883)	1850	4 February 1850	12 January 1851	342 days		Liberal
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	12 January 1851	19 March 1851	66 days		Conservative
–		José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) Acting President	—	19 March 1851	3 May 1851	45 days		Independent
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	3 May 1851	30 January 1852	272 days		Conservative
–		Colonel José María San Martín (1811–1857) Acting President	—	30 January 1852	1 February 1852	2 days		Conservative/Military
28		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884)	1852	1 February 1852	1 February 1854	2 years, 0 days		Conservative		Tomás Medina
–		Vicente Gómez (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1854	15 February 1854	14 days		Independent		Brigadier General José Mariano Hernández
29		Colonel José María San Martín (1811–1857)	1854	15 February 1854	26 September 1854	223 days		Conservative/Military
–		Brigadier General José Mariano Hernández (1786–1864) Acting President	—	26 September 1854	13 November 1854	48 days		Conservative/Military
30		Colonel José María San Martín (1811–1857)	—	13 November 1854	1 February 1856	1 year, 80 days		Conservative/Military
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	1 February 1856	12 February 1856	11 days		Conservative		Francisco Dueñas
31		Rafael Campo (1813–1890)	1856	12 February 1856	12 May 1856	90 days		Conservative
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	12 May 1856	19 July 1856	68 days		Conservative
32		Rafael Campo (1813–1890)	—	19 July 1856	1 February 1858	1 year, 197 days		Conservative
–		Lorenzo Zepeda (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1858	7 February 1858	6 days		Independent	Office vacant
33		Brigadier General Miguel Santín del Castillo (1830–1880)	1858	7 February 1858	24 June 1858	137 days		Conservative		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán
–		Captain General Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865) Acting President	—	24 June 1858	16 September 1858	84 days		Liberal
34		Brigadier General Miguel Santín del Castillo (1830–1880)	—	16 September 1858	19 January 1859	125 days		Conservative
–		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	19 January 1859	15 February 1859	27 days		Conservative
–		José María Peralta (1807–1883) Acting President	—	15 February 1859	12 March 1859	25 days		Independent	Office vacant
–		Captain General Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865) Acting President	—	12 March 1859	1 February 1860	326 days		Liberal
35		Captain General Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865)	1859	1 February 1860	16 December 1860	319 days		Liberal		José Félix Quirós
–		José María Peralta (1807–1883) Acting President	—	16 December 1860	7 February 1861	53 days		Independent
36		Captain General Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865)	—	7 February 1861	26 October 1863	2 years, 261 days		Liberal
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Provisional President	—	26 October 1863	1 February 1865	1 year, 98 days		Conservative	Office vacant
37		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884)	1864 1869	1 February 1865	12 April 1871	6 years, 70 days		Conservative		Gregorio Arbizú
										José María Parrilla
–		Marshal Santiago González (1818–1887) Provisional President	—	12 April 1871	1 February 1872	295 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant
38		Marshal Santiago González (1818–1887)	1872	1 February 1872	10 May 1872	99 days		Liberal/Military		Manuel Méndez
–		Manuel Méndez (?–1872) Acting President	—	10 May 1872	9 July 1872	122 days		Independent
39		Marshal Santiago González (1818–1887)	—	9 July 1872	1 February 1876	3 years, 145 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant
40		Andrés del Valle (1833–1888)	Jan. 1876	1 February 1876	1 May 1876	90 days		Liberal		Santiago González
–		Doctor Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903) Provisional President	—	1 May 1876	1 February 1880	3 years, 276 days		Liberal	Office vacant
41		Doctor Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903)	Jun. 1876	1 February 1880	6 April 1884	4 years, 65 days		Liberal
–		Ángel Guirola (1826–1910) Acting President	—	6 April 1884	21 August 1884	4 years, 202 days		Independent
42		Doctor Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903)	—	21 August 1884	14 May 1885	266 days		Liberal
–		Divisional General Fernando Figueroa (1849–1919)	—	14 May 1885	18 June 1885	35 days		Liberal/Military
–		José Rosales Herrador (1827–1891) Provisional President	—	18 June 1885	22 June 1885	4 days		Independent
–		Brigadier General Francisco Menéndez (1830–1890) Provisional President	—	22 June 1885	1 March 1887	1 year, 252 days		Liberal/Military
43		Brigadier General Francisco Menéndez (1830–1890)	1887	1 March 1887	22 June 1890	3 years, 113 days		Liberal/Military
–		Brigadier General Carlos Ezeta (1852–1903) Provisional President	—	22 June 1890	1 March 1891	252 days		Liberal/Military
44		Brigadier General Carlos Ezeta (1852–1903)	1891	1 March 1891	10 June 1894	3 years, 101 days		Liberal/Military		Brigadier General Antonio Ezeta
–		Brigadier General Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez (1845–1921) Provisional President	—	10 June 1894	1 March 1895	264 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant
45		Brigadier General Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez (1845–1921)	1895	1 March 1895	14 November 1898	3 years, 258 days		Liberal/Military		Prudencio Alfaro
–		Brigadier General Tomás Regalado (1861–1906) Provisional President	—	14 November 1898	1 March 1899	107 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant
46		Brigadier General Tomás Regalado (1861–1906)	1899	1 March 1899	1 March 1903	4 years, 0 days		Liberal/Military		Francisco Reyes
47		Brigadier General Pedro José Escalón (1847–1923)	1903	1 March 1903	1 March 1907	4 years, 0 days		Conservative/Military		Calixto Velado Eduardo
48		Divisional General Fernando Figueroa (1849–1919)	1907	1 March 1907	1 March 1911	4 years, 0 days		Liberal/Military		Manuel Enrique Araujo
49		Doctor Manuel Enrique Araujo (1865–1913)	1911	1 March 1911	9 February 1913	1 year, 345 days		Liberal		Onofre Durán Santillana
–		Carlos Meléndez (1861–1919) Provisional President	—	9 February 1913	29 August 1914	1 year, 201 days		Liberal	Office vacant
–		Doctor Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950) Provisional President	—	29 August 1914	1 March 1915	184 days		Liberal
50		Carlos Meléndez (1861–1919)	1915	1 March 1915	21 December 1918	3 years, 295 days		Liberal		Alfonso Quiñónez Molina
–		Doctor Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950) Provisional President	—	21 December 1918	1 March 1919	70 days		National Democratic Party	Office vacant
51		Jorge Meléndez (1871–1953)	1919	1 March 1919	1 March 1923	4 years, 0 days		National Democratic Party		Alfonso Quiñónez Molina
52		Doctor Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950)	1923	1 March 1923	1 March 1927	4 years, 0 days		National Democratic Party		Pío Romero Bosque
53		Doctor Pío Romero Bosque (1860–1935)	1927	1 March 1927	1 March 1931	4 years, 0 days		National Democratic Party		Gustavo Vides
54		Arturo Araujo (1878–1967)	1931	1 March 1931	2 December 1931	276 days		Salvadoran Laborist Party		Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez
–		Civic Directory	—	2 December 1931	4 December 1931	2 days		Military
–		Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (1882–1966) Provisional President	—	4 December 1931	28 August 1934	2 years, 267 days		Military
–		Brigadier General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1879–1962) Provisional President	—	28 August 1934	1 March 1935	185 days		National Pro Patria Party/Military	Office vacant
55		Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (1882–1966)	1935 1939 1944	1 March 1935	9 May 1944	9 years, 69 days		National Pro Patria Party/Military
–		Brigadier General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1879–1962) Provisional President	—	9 May 1944	21 October 1944	165 days		National Pro Patria Party/Military
–		Colonel Osmín Aguirre y Salinas (1889–1977) Provisional President	—	21 October 1944	1 March 1945	131 days		Military
56		Brigadier General Salvador Castaneda Castro (1888–1965)	1945	1 March 1945	14 December 1948	3 years, 288 days		Unification Social Democratic Party/Military		Manuel Adriano Vilanova
–		Revolutionary Council of Government [es]	—	14 December 1948	14 September 1950	1 year, 274 days		Military	Office vacant
57		Lieutenant Colonel Óscar Osorio (1910–1969)	1950	14 September 1950	14 September 1956	6 years, 0 days		Revolutionary Party of Democratic Unification/Military		José María Peralta
58		Lieutenant Colonel José María Lemus (1911–1993)	1956	14 September 1956	26 October 1960	4 years, 42 days		Revolutionary Party of Democratic Unification/Military		Humberto Costa
–		Junta of Government	—	26 October 1960	25 January 1961	91 days		Military	Office vacant
–		Civic-Military Directory	—	25 January 1961	25 January 1962	1 year, 0 days		Military
–		Doctor Eusebio Rodolfo Cordón Cea (1899–1966) Provisional President	—	25 January 1962	1 July 1962	157 days		Independent
59		Lieutenant Colonel Julio Adalberto Rivera (1921–1973)	1962	1 July 1962	1 July 1967	5 years, 0 days		National Conciliation Party/Military		Francisco Roberto Lima
60		Brigadier General Fidel Sánchez Hernández (1917–2003)	1967	1 July 1967	1 July 1972	5 years, 0 days		National Conciliation Party/Military		Humberto Guillermo Cuestas
61		Colonel Arturo Armando Molina (1927–2021)	1972	1 July 1972	1 July 1977	5 years, 0 days		National Conciliation Party/Military		Enrique Mayorga Rivas
62		Brigadier General Carlos Humberto Romero (1924–2017)	1977	1 July 1977	15 October 1979	2 years, 106 days		National Conciliation Party/Military		Julio Astacio
–		Revolutionary Government Junta	—	15 October 1979	2 May 1982	2 years, 199 days		Military	Office vacant
63		Doctor Álvaro Magaña (1925–2001)	1982	2 May 1982	1 June 1984	2 years, 30 days		Independent		Raúl Molina Martínez
										Mauricio Gutiérrez Castro
										Pablo Mauricio Alvergue
64		José Napoleón Duarte (1925–1990)	1984	1 June 1984	1 June 1989	5 years, 0 days		Christian Democratic Party		Rodolfo Castillo
65		Alfredo Cristiani (born 1947)	1989	1 June 1989	1 June 1994	5 years, 0 days		Nationalist Republican Alliance		José Francisco Merino
66		Doctor Armando Calderón Sol (1948–2017)	1994	1 June 1994	1 June 1999	5 years, 0 days		Nationalist Republican Alliance		Enrique Borgo Bustamante
67		Francisco Flores Pérez (1959–2016)	1999	1 June 1999	1 June 2004	5 years, 0 days		Nationalist Republican Alliance		Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt
68		Antonio Saca (born 1965)	2004	1 June 2004	1 June 2009	5 years, 0 days		Nationalist Republican Alliance		Ana Vilma de Escobar
69		Mauricio Funes (1959–2025)	2009	1 June 2009	1 June 2014	5 years, 0 days		Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front		Salvador Sánchez Cerén
70		Salvador Sánchez Cerén (born 1944)	2014	1 June 2014	1 June 2019	5 years, 0 days		Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front		Óscar Ortiz
71		Nayib Bukele (born 1981)	2019 2024	1 June 2019	Incumbent	6 years, 16 days		Grand Alliance for National Unity		Félix Ulloa
								Nuevas Ideas
–		Claudia Rodríguez de Guevara (born 1980/1981) Acting President	—	1 December 2023	1 June 2024	183 days		Nuevas Ideas

Timeline of Presidents

This timeline shows who has been president of El Salvador since 1821.

Latest Election Results

See Also

In Spanish: Presidente de El Salvador para niños

• Colonial Intendant of San Salvador