Former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes has been sentenced to six years in prison for tax evasion. This marks the second time in just over a month that Funes, who currently resides in Nicaragua, has received a prison sentence in absentia. Prosecutors had sought an eight-year term.
In late May, a separate court handed down a 14-year sentence to Funes for engaging in negotiations with powerful street gangs during his presidency (2009-2014).
Funes, 64, faces several other legal challenges in El Salvador related to alleged offenses during his time in office. He was granted Nicaraguan citizenship in 2019. This legal pursuit makes him the second former Salvadoran president to face imprisonment for illicit activities carried out while in power. In 2018, Tony Saca, Funes' predecessor, received a 10-year sentence after admitting to misappropriating over $300 million in public funds during his term from 2004 to 2009.
A change in El Salvadoran law last year enabled trials to proceed in absentia. In this specific case, prosecutors accused Funes of evading approximately $85,000 in taxes in 2014, his final year as president. The court has also mandated him to pay $200,000 in penalties and interest.
