Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center Deputy Director Jason Marczak writes for Fox News Latino on why the United States should engage with El Salvador’s new president and what opportunities lie ahead for the US-El Salvador relationship:
Less than three months after being declared El Salvador’s new president, Salvador Sánchez Cerén accepted the presidential sash of a deeply polarized nation on June 1. The wounds of a divided campaign had yet to heal as half the nation celebrated President Sánchez Cerén’s inauguration and the other half cautiously watched his inaugural address.
The festive inauguration ceremony – marked by singing, chants, and flag waving in support of the ruling Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) political party – had the feel of a victory party. Attendee enthusiasm, in sharp contrast to the event’s more staid protocol, bubbled over with excitement for the new president, but also praise for his predecessor, Mauricio Funes, the television journalist turned president.