The National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP) has entered a pivotal new chapter with the election of José Luis Saca Jiménez as President for the 2026-2028 term. Appointed during the General Assembly, Saca takes the helm of El Salvador’s most influential business federation at a time when the country is experiencing a highly favorable climate for private investment and economic development.
With a distinguished career in the broadcasting and energy sectors, Saca intends to strengthen the coordination between the private sector and the government. He emphasized a commitment to maintaining an excellent relationship with President Nayib Bukele’s administration to ensure national progress. “We are in absolute disposition to continue working with the Government… we are entrepreneurs and what we do is create progress,” Saca stated during his appointment.
A cornerstone of this new administration will be the integration of emerging technologies, specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance the competitiveness of Salvadoran businesses. By collaborating with academic institutions and observing successful public sector tech implementations, ANEP aims to modernize the local economy and streamline bureaucratic processes to attract more foreign and domestic capital.
The transition coincides with ANEP’s 60th anniversary, representing a network of 15,000 companies across 40 specialized guilds. This deep institutional roots, combined with a fresh focus on digital transformation, positions the association as a key driver for social and economic welfare. The new Executive Committee includes leaders from diverse sectors such as sugar, industry, and exports, ensuring a unified approach to economic expansion.
Silvia Cuéllar, a member of the Executive Committee, highlighted that the primary goal is to address the specific needs of every industry to push the national economy forward. “It is about coordinating in such a way that we can talk about the needs of all sectors,” she affirmed, signaling a period of unprecedented collaboration designed to position El Salvador as a regional logistics and business hub.