El Salvador finally has new attorney general

Earlier this week, a new attorney general was finally sworn in for El Salvador. Romeo Barahona took the post after an agreement on his election was finally reached in the National Assembly. The position had been empty for 5 months since the prior Attorney General, Félix Garrid Safie, left office.

Election of an Attorney General requires a super majority in the National Assembly, so no candidate could get the post without the support of both ARENA and the FMLN. It took 5 months of negotiations before the two largest political parties finally agreed on Barahona.

The new Attorney General takes office at a difficult time. Corruption is high, murders go unsolved, and impunity is rampant. It's going to take more than a new person at the helm to change the institutions which make up El Salvador's legal system.

Comments

El Faro has noted that he his record is not impressive, having served as the Adjunct to two previous FGRs. It therefore argues he has a lot to prove and must do so quickly.

(Normally, experience would be a good thing. We know, of course, however, that the FGR has not functioned very well in El Salvador. El Faro also notes that ARENA previously and unsuccesfully tried to get him conformed as FGR while he was serving as Acting FGR.)