Former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes Dies in Exile Amid Controversy

Former El Salvador president Mauricio Funes passed away in Nicaragua, where he lived to avoid legal repercussions in El Salvador. He faced multiple corruption charges and negotiated gang truces during his presidency. Funes won the presidency with the FMLN party but lived his later years under Nicaraguan protection.

Mauricio Funes, the former president of El Salvador, died in Nicaragua where he had lived to evade various criminal charges at home. The 65-year-old politician, facing over 26 years in sentences, succumbed to a chronic illness, according to Nicaragua's Health Ministry.

Funes, who took office from 2009 to 2014, sought protection under Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's citizenship offer, allowing him to dodge extradition. Originally a journalist, he emerged as an influential figure with the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front.

Accused of corrupt practices, including illicit negotiations with gangs, Funes was never imprisoned, opting instead for self-imposed exile. Despite numerous accusations, he always maintained that he was a victim of political persecution.

(With inputs from agencies.)