Could an Important Ambassadorial Appointment Be Based on D.C. Political Games?
Carolyn Cooke In March, 2009, El Salvadoran elections led to a major sea change in the political landscape of the country when a member of the Communist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FLMN) Party, Mauricio Funes, was swept into the presidency. His win marked the end of control by the Party closely allied with the United States since the end of the El Salvadoran Civil War in 1992. El Salvador was America’s closest ally in Latin America. El Salvador is a country on the edge, suffering from tough economic times with soaring poverty and the emergence of influential drug cartels that threaten the security and the stability of the nation and region. This no doubt contributed to the rise of Funes, a popular young politician who was once a commentator for CNN International. Though having run on a platform of moderating his former militant stance, it is an open question whether President Funes will stay true to his campaign’s move to the middle. Will El Salvador continue to be allie
