Schafik Handal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Schafik Handal
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Schafik Handal
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| Deputy in the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador | |
| In office 1 February 1997 – 24 January 2006 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | October 14, 1930 Usulután, El Salvador |
| Died | January 24, 2006 (aged 75) San Salvador, El Salvador |
| Political party | Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front |
| Website | http://www.fmln.org.sv/ |
Schafik Jorge Hándal Hándal (Arabic: شفيق جورج حنضل) was an important politician from El Salvador. He was born on October 14, 1930, and passed away on January 24, 2006. He played a big role in his country's history.
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About Schafik Handal
Schafik Handal was born in Usulután, a city in El Salvador. His parents were immigrants from Palestine, a country in the Middle East. They came from the town of Bethlehem.
From 1973 to 1994, he was the leader of the Communist Party of El Salvador. At first, he believed in using elections to gain political power. But after two elections in 1972 and 1977 seemed unfair, he changed his mind. He became convinced that elections alone would not defeat the military government.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he became a leader of a group of fighters. These groups came together to form the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). This group aimed to bring change to El Salvador.
After a peace agreement was signed in 1992, the FMLN stopped being a fighting group. It became a political party instead. Handal then served as its main coordinator. In 1997, he was chosen to be a member of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador. This is like the country's parliament. He led the FMLN's group of politicians there.
Presidential Election in 2004
In 2004, Schafik Handal ran for president of El Salvador. He was the candidate for the FMLN party. His ideas were focused on helping ordinary people. He wanted El Salvador to have good relationships with the United States. He also wanted to look at trade agreements again. He hoped for closer ties with countries in Latin America that had similar ideas. These included Cuba, Venezuela, and Brazil.
Some people accused Handal of being against the United States. But his supporters said the U.S. was trying to influence the election. This was because some U.S. officials said that if Handal won, relations with El Salvador might suffer.
In the end, Handal lost the election. The winner was Antonio Saca, from the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party. Saca also had Palestinian family roots. Saca won with 58% of the votes, while Handal received 36%. A large number of people, about 70%, voted in that election.
His Passing
Schafik Handal passed away less than two years after the presidential election. He died on January 24, 2006, from a heart attack. He had just returned from Bolivia and collapsed at the airport. He was taken to a hospital in San Salvador, but doctors could not save him.
Awards and Special Mentions
Schafik Handal received several honors during his life and after his death.
- In 2004, he was named an Honorary Professor of Political Science. This was by a university in the Dominican Republic.
- After he died, the Mayor of San Salvador called him a "Meritorious Son of the City."
- He also received an award for his work in Central America.
- The University of El Salvador later gave him a special honorary doctorate degree. His son accepted this award for him.
Many people spoke highly of Handal after he passed away. The Catholic bishop of San Salvador, Gregorio Rosa Chávez, said Handal was a very important politician. The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, also shared his sadness. He called Handal a great revolutionary leader.
See also
In Spanish: Schafik Hándal para niños
