President Nayib Bukele declared a war on corruption during his address to the nation on the fourth year of his presidency, held at the Legislative Assembly. He announced the implementation of asset forfeiture against former President Alfredo Cristiani and the construction of a penitentiary facility to house all «white-collar criminals.»
In his speech, President Bukele emphasized that just as his government has combated gangs, it will now confront corruption head-on and hold anyone involved accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
To that end, the President announced the forthcoming construction of a prison exclusively for individuals who are captured and prosecuted for acts of corruption involving public funds.
«Just as we built a prison for terrorists, we will build one for the corrupt. No one has the right to be corrupt, and no one should think they are immune. We will seize everything they own and make them return what they have stolen,» stated the Salvadoran leader. He also expressed disappointment that the FMLN parliamentary group did not stand up or applaud in support of the anti-corruption campaign during the legislative session.
Furthermore, those who are apprehended will face asset forfeiture proceedings to return unlawfully acquired assets to the Salvadoran state. Former President Alfredo Cristiani, a member of the ARENA party, is the first high-ranking official to face the war on corruption.
During his address, President Bukele revealed that the Attorney General, Rodolfo Delgado, initiated the asset forfeiture process against several properties belonging to Cristiani nationwide. The properties are suspected to have been obtained through illicit means using public funds.
Shortly after, the Attorney General’s Office announced via Twitter that it had seized 156 properties, including 143 real estate assets owned by Cristiani Burkard, S.A. de C.V., seven properties owned by Droguería Santa Lucía S.A. de C.V., six properties owned by Sociedad Montebro S.A. de C.V., 15 bank accounts, and vehicles.
Consequently, the state will assume control of lands, subdivisions, a coffee benefit, a mansion in Santa Elena (La Libertad), and a recreational house on Teopán Island in Lake Coatepeque (Santa Ana). These properties are owned by the former president, who, according to various media reports, fled the country to Italy in an attempt to evade justice.
During the seizure operations, the Attorney General emphasized that action would be taken against financial institutions that assisted Cristiani in transferring the latest packages of funds. He revealed that the total value of the assets to be seized amounts to $10,620,210.24.
Cristiani left the country after facing criminal charges by the Attorney General’s Office for his involvement in the massacre of Jesuit priests and their two collaborators, which occurred on November 16, 1989, at the campus of the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA). At the time, Cristiani held the positions of both president and commander general of the Armed Forces.
Prior to his legal proceedings, Cristiani also appeared before a special commission at the Legislative Assembly to explain the illegal mechanism of bonus payments provided to former officials during his presidency.