El Salvador has officially assumed the pro tempore presidency of the Ibero-American Consumer Protection Forum (FIAGC) during its 20th annual meeting held in San Salvador. The country was unanimously elected by member nations to lead the multilateral organization for the 2026–2027 term, succeeding Chile’s consumer protection authority and returning to the forum’s leadership after previously holding the post from 2019 to 2020.
The transition highlights growing regional recognition of the nation’s consumer policy framework and enforcement initiatives. Ricardo Salazar, president of El Salvador’s Consumer Protection Agency (Defensoría del Consumidor), noted that these enforcement measures have yielded tangible financial results, securing $19 million in financial recovery for nearly 11,700 consumers nationwide while addressing over 80,000 consumer complaints this year alone.
“The fact that as a country we are assuming the presidency of the FIAGC means that the region recognizes the work and leadership of the policies driven in consumer protection matters by the government of President Nayib Bukele,” stated Salazar ahead of receiving the position from Chilean officials.
Hosting the international summit alongside key partners, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Organization of American States (OAS) Consumer Safety and Health Network, El Salvador will focus its mandate on standardizing regulatory frameworks across member states to bolster consumer rights, transparent trade practices, and cross-border consumer safeguards throughout the region.