On 22 July 2021, the attorney general ordered the arrest of former President Salvador Sánchez Cerén and nine other former officials with the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) — the country’s main opposition party — on charges of embezzlement, money laundering and illicit enrichment. Authorities stated they will seek an Interpol Red Notice for Sánchez Cerén, as he is out of the country. Five of the other individuals under arrest were detained shortly after the order — including a former minister of health, a former vice minister of science and technology, a former vice minister of agriculture, a former legislator and a former minister of finance — while four more have yet to be arrested.
Analyst Comment: In February, President Nayib Bukele replaced the country’s top judges and attorney general with individuals widely considered loyal to him
