During the fourth anniversary speech to the nation on June 1st, the President addressed the country on the recent progress in the war against gangs and the simultaneous battle against corruption. The campaign was officially introduced on June 1st of this year, with its initial action being the seizure of all assets belonging to former President Alfredo Cristiani.
President Nayib Bukele has now shared important findings of the ongoing operation and related information stemming from accusations made by Alejandro Muyshondt against Deputy Erick García. This is part of the initiative of Nayib Bukele’s government to eradicate corruption within the country. The President declared that the classified intelligence and information related to this operation have been declassified under his authority, in accordance with the laws of the Republic.
Over the past few months, this endeavor has seen the collaboration of over a dozen institutions and the dedicated efforts of more than 200 individuals. Their mission has been to gather evidence, clues, and information that can substantiate claims of criminal activities, with a primary focus on corruption-related offenses.
One notable development in this ongoing process has been the revelation that Alejandro Muyshondt, who held a position in the realm of security, was granted access to a portion of the collected evidence. However, in the course of investigations, the State Intelligence Agency discovered that Mr. Muyshondt had been operating as a double agent since 2019. He was found to have worked for former President Mauricio Funes, allegedly engaging in operations that involved leaking classified documents, sometimes modified, to journalists Sergio Arauz, Bryan Avelar, and Héctor Silva Ávalos. Additionally, these documents were also shared with a foreign government and several individuals from different countries, acting as a kind of secure repository in the event of exposure.
The investigation further revealed direct evidence suggesting that the National Security Advisor had aided former President Funes in evading justice and avoiding capture.
According to sources within the State Intelligence Agency, an informant connected to former President Funes had tipped off Mr. Muyshondt about the ongoing investigation. This prompted Mr. Muyshondt to leak incriminating evidence against a certain member of parliament. While some of this evidence proved conclusive, such as signed agreements, other pieces required further scrutiny, including the potential involvement in drug consumption allegedly obtained from a narcotics trafficker known as “Anubis.”
Surprisingly, Mr. Muyshondt went on to publicly release all the evidence he had contributed to gather against the parliamentarian, along with a threat to expose additional evidence from other cases he had access to, which included some authentic, incomplete, in-progress, and falsified evidence. These falsified pieces were intended to be planted alongside the former president, including edited audio and misrepresented documents, all in anticipation of potential prosecution.
The investigations conducted by the Office of the Attorney General have concluded that there was indeed a breach of public trust on the part of the accused parliamentarian, García. While the inquiry continues into the possibility of other offenses committed by García and his substitute, there is substantial evidence to proceed with charges of ideologically-driven falsehood. The evidence has paved the way for his removal from office and suspension as a member of parliament.
Equally important, this evidence is deemed sufficient to disqualify Erick García and his substitute from their candidacy as parliamentarians. The ruling party, Nuevas Ideas, has initiated this measure.
The President’s statement also mentioned ongoing investigations into the conduct of current substitute parliamentarian and candidate for the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), Nidia Turcios. The results of these investigations will be made public upon completion.
The former National Security Advisor, Alejandro Muyshondt, has been taken into custody and will soon face charges in court, which will include aiding evasion and unauthorized disclosure of classified documents in favor of former President Mauricio Funes, among other alleged offenses. The announcement has sent shockwaves throughout the nation, signifying a significant step towards combating corruption and fostering transparency in El Salvador’s political landscape.