Francisco Flores Pérez
Encyclopedia
Francisco Guillermo Flores Pérez (born October 17, 1959) is an ex president
of El Salvador
. He led the country from June 1 1999 until June 1 2004 as a member of the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance
(ARENA).
's Hillyer College, then, majored in political science
at Amherst College
in Massachusetts
, United States
, and received a Master's in philosophy at World University. Flores then continued his education at Harvard University
and at Oxford University in Great Britain. He entered politics after the assassination of his father-in-law, who was chief of staff to Alfredo Cristiani
.
(FMLN) guerilla group.
In the elections of March 20, 1994, Flores was elected to the Legislative Assembly
and the new president, Armando Calderón
, made him Secretary of Information of the Presidency.
In 1997, he was elected as the President of the Legislative Assembly. The Law of Telecommunications was signed during his presidency of the Legislative Assembly in which the former gubernamental ANTEL was sold to two societies in the Private Enterprise and at the same time being regulated by this new law. This was signed with the approval of the deputies of the ARENA, PCN and PDC political parties imitating the Neoliberal system that supports the administration of gubernamental agencies by the private enterprise for overall improvement of the coverage in telecommunications.
On March 29, 1998, ARENA announced Flores as their candidate at the presidential elections of the following year. He was considered a moderate within the party. At the age of 39 (the youngest chief executive of the continent at that time), Flores became the third consecutive president from ARENA by winning an outright majority on the elections
in March 1999, and took office on July 1, 1999. He served his five-year term, and was succeeded by another of member of his party, Antonio Saca
, in July 2004.
was one of the steadiest allies of the U.S. government in the region. Three undertakings during his term best exemplify Flores's commitment to close US-Salvadoran relations: First, Flores authorized the deployment of Salvadoran troops to Iraq in support of U.S. forces. Second, during his term a successful free-trade agreement was negotiated between the United States and the Central American region, with the late addition of the Dominican Republic
to the roster of participating nations; this agreement was ratified recently by most of the region's countries as well as the U.S. Congress. Finally, Flores was the architect of the Salvadoran economy's migration from its historical currency, the colón
, to the U.S. dollar.
Dollarization
was an extremely controversial measure, both lauded and panned by local and foreign opinion. From the standpoint of the country's business establishment, dollarization brought about great benefits, such as reduced interest rates (which came about by eliminating currency-exchange risk among other factors), easier trade with other commercial partners, and an easier integration onto the global economy.
Critics of his dollarization efforts accuse him of doing so without popular consensus, except exclusively with bankers. Even though the replacement of colones with dollars proved to reduce interest rates, it also caused a huge long-term inflation as prices were rounded upwards.
He also had to deal with reconstruction efforts after two powerful earthquakes struck the country on January 13, 2001. Delivery of international aid was inefficient and was criticized by reporters, especially Mauricio Funes
from the local channel TV12, an affiliate of Mexican company TV Azteca
.
Some of his opponents also contend that escalating violence and increasing poverty occurred during his term, but statistics from the World Bank show that poverty did, in fact, decrease during the Flores administration.
Another occurrence was the Summit of the Americas where Francisco Flores called Fidel Castro
a "dictator" and accused him of being responsible for the thousands deaths that have occurred in El Salvador.
of the Organization of American States
, a post which was won in late 2004 by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
an ex-president from Costa Rica.
Rodríguez later had to resign from this post when he was indicted in his country for alleged acts of corruption during his tenure as president, a situation which called for an extraordinary election for his successor. Francisco Flores once again expressed his intentions of seeking the post, but after much campaigning, had to withdraw due to lack of support from other member states (even though he counted the United States as his chief backer). This situation could be explained because some of his policies were seen as being to closely aligned to US interests at a time when most Latin American governments were highly critical of the positions adopted by the United States. He was the first US-backed candidate not elected to this post since the establishment of the organization.
President of El Salvador
This page contains a list of Presidents of El Salvador.-Heads of State of El Salvador within the Federal Republic of Central America :*Pedro Barriere : 21 September 1821 - 28 November 1821*José Matías Delgado : 28 Nov 1821 - 9 February 1823...
of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. He led the country from June 1 1999 until June 1 2004 as a member of the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance
Nationalist Republican Alliance
The Nationalist Republican Alliance is a conservative political party in El Salvador. It was founded on September 30, 1981, by Roberto D'Aubuisson, in order to oppose the reformist military junta that was ruling El Salvador at the time...
(ARENA).
Background
He graduated from the Escuela Americana High School in San Salvador. Flores Pérez earned an associate's degree from the University of HartfordUniversity of Hartford
The University of Hartford is a private, independent, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in West Hartford, Connecticut. The degree programs at the University of Hartford hold the highest levels of accreditation available in the US, including the Engineering Accreditation Commission of...
's Hillyer College, then, majored in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and received a Master's in philosophy at World University. Flores then continued his education at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and at Oxford University in Great Britain. He entered politics after the assassination of his father-in-law, who was chief of staff to Alfredo Cristiani
Alfredo Cristiani
Alfredo Félix Cristiani Burkard, popularly known as Alfredo Cristiani was President of El Salvador from 1989 to 1994....
.
Political career
He started his political career as a vice-minister for planning during Alfredo Cristiani's presidency in 1989. Later he served as a vice-minister of the Presidency, with functions as adviser of the head of state, and directed the plan of governmental action in accordance with the peace accords of January 1992 that ended fighting with the Farabundo Martí National Liberation FrontFarabundo Martí National Liberation Front
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front is, since 1992, a left-wing political party in El Salvador and formerly a coalition of five revolutionary guerrilla organizations...
(FMLN) guerilla group.
In the elections of March 20, 1994, Flores was elected to the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of El Salvador
The Legislative Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of El Salvador.The Salvadoran legislature is a unicameral body....
and the new president, Armando Calderón
Armando Calderón Sol
Armando Calderón Sol was President of El Salvador from June 1, 1994 to June 1, 1999, representing the Nationalist Republican Alliance .-Biography:Armando Calderón Sol was born in San Salvador, on June 24, 1948....
, made him Secretary of Information of the Presidency.
In 1997, he was elected as the President of the Legislative Assembly. The Law of Telecommunications was signed during his presidency of the Legislative Assembly in which the former gubernamental ANTEL was sold to two societies in the Private Enterprise and at the same time being regulated by this new law. This was signed with the approval of the deputies of the ARENA, PCN and PDC political parties imitating the Neoliberal system that supports the administration of gubernamental agencies by the private enterprise for overall improvement of the coverage in telecommunications.
On March 29, 1998, ARENA announced Flores as their candidate at the presidential elections of the following year. He was considered a moderate within the party. At the age of 39 (the youngest chief executive of the continent at that time), Flores became the third consecutive president from ARENA by winning an outright majority on the elections
Salvadoran presidential election, 1999
Presidential elections were held in El Salvador on 7 March 1999. The result was a victory for Francisco Flores of the Nationalist Republican Alliance, who won in the first round with 52.0% of the vote.-Election results:...
in March 1999, and took office on July 1, 1999. He served his five-year term, and was succeeded by another of member of his party, Antonio Saca
Antonio Saca
Elías Antonio Saca González is a Salvadoran politician and was the President of El Salvador. He was elected President in 2004 to serve a five-year term that ended in 2009....
, in July 2004.
Presidency
The government of Francisco Flores was characterized by its close alignment with United States policies. El SalvadorEl Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
was one of the steadiest allies of the U.S. government in the region. Three undertakings during his term best exemplify Flores's commitment to close US-Salvadoran relations: First, Flores authorized the deployment of Salvadoran troops to Iraq in support of U.S. forces. Second, during his term a successful free-trade agreement was negotiated between the United States and the Central American region, with the late addition of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
to the roster of participating nations; this agreement was ratified recently by most of the region's countries as well as the U.S. Congress. Finally, Flores was the architect of the Salvadoran economy's migration from its historical currency, the colón
Salvadoran colón
The colón was the currency of El Salvador between 1892 and 2001, until it was substituted by the U.S. Dollar. It was subdivided into 100 centavos and its ISO 4217 code was SVC. The plural is colones in Spanish and was named after Christopher Columbus, known as Cristóbal Colón in Spanish.The symbol...
, to the U.S. dollar.
Dollarization
Dollarization
Dollarization occurs when the inhabitants of a country use foreign currency in parallel to or instead of the domestic currency. The term is not only applied to usage of the United States dollar, but generally to the use of any foreign currency as the national currency.The biggest economies to have...
was an extremely controversial measure, both lauded and panned by local and foreign opinion. From the standpoint of the country's business establishment, dollarization brought about great benefits, such as reduced interest rates (which came about by eliminating currency-exchange risk among other factors), easier trade with other commercial partners, and an easier integration onto the global economy.
Criticism
The tenure of Francisco Flores was not without its critics. His actions to further align El Salvador with the United States has been widely criticized by his political opponents. In the same manner, he was faulted for an autocratic style of governance, which admitted very little compromise or consultation with the opposition. The lack of flexibility exemplified by his government resulted in a number of crippling strikes, most notably one led by the medical professionals in an attempt to forestall a threatened privatization of the country's public health facilities.Critics of his dollarization efforts accuse him of doing so without popular consensus, except exclusively with bankers. Even though the replacement of colones with dollars proved to reduce interest rates, it also caused a huge long-term inflation as prices were rounded upwards.
He also had to deal with reconstruction efforts after two powerful earthquakes struck the country on January 13, 2001. Delivery of international aid was inefficient and was criticized by reporters, especially Mauricio Funes
Mauricio Funes
Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena is the President of El Salvador. He won the 2009 presidential election as the candidate of the left-wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front political party and took office on 1 June 2009.-Biography:Funes is married to Dr. Vanada Pignado, who was involved in...
from the local channel TV12, an affiliate of Mexican company TV Azteca
TV Azteca
Azteca, is the second largest Mexican television entertainment. It was established in 1983 as the state-owned Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión , a holding of the national TV networks channel 13 and 7 and was privatized under its current name in 1993 and now is part of Grupo Salinas...
.
Some of his opponents also contend that escalating violence and increasing poverty occurred during his term, but statistics from the World Bank show that poverty did, in fact, decrease during the Flores administration.
Another occurrence was the Summit of the Americas where Francisco Flores called Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
a "dictator" and accused him of being responsible for the thousands deaths that have occurred in El Salvador.
Candidacy for the Organization of American States
Even before he left office, Francisco Flores had expressed his interest in running for the office of Secretary GeneralSecretary General of the Organization of American States
According to the Charter of the Organization of American States:-Secretaries General of the OAS:-Assistant Secretaries General of the OAS:*William Manger *William Sanders...
of the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
, a post which was won in late 2004 by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría is a Costa Rican economist, lawyer, businessman, and politician. He served as President of Costa Rica from 1998 to 2002 and was briefly Secretary General of the Organization of American States in 2004, before stepping down and returning to his country to face...
an ex-president from Costa Rica.
Rodríguez later had to resign from this post when he was indicted in his country for alleged acts of corruption during his tenure as president, a situation which called for an extraordinary election for his successor. Francisco Flores once again expressed his intentions of seeking the post, but after much campaigning, had to withdraw due to lack of support from other member states (even though he counted the United States as his chief backer). This situation could be explained because some of his policies were seen as being to closely aligned to US interests at a time when most Latin American governments were highly critical of the positions adopted by the United States. He was the first US-backed candidate not elected to this post since the establishment of the organization.
External links
- Biography and tenure, by CIDOB Foundation (in Spanish)