On Tuesday, May 6^th, an arrest warrant was issued for former President Francisco Flores (1999-2004) for the crimes of embezzlement, illicit enrichment and disobedience, along with an order for the seizure of his assets. The move marks an historic step forward in the fight begun by the outgoing leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN)-Funes administration  against the preceding decades of corruption and impunity under the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) administrations.

Flores is accused of misappropriating some $15 million in donations from the Taiwanese government during his presidency. New revelations allege that $10 million of those funds were funneled through an account in Costa Rica to an account of the ARENA party leadership in El Salvador and used to finance the presidential campaign of the ARENA candidate, Tony Saca (2004-2009).

After first clumsily incriminating himself before a televised Legislative Assembly commission hearing convened to investigate the case in February, Flores disappeared, failing to appear before the commission in subsequent hearings. Last week, evidence emerged that the fugitive former president is likely hiding in the vacation home of former Panamanian president Mireya Moscoso on the Panamanian coast. INTERPOL has issued a red alert for Flores, who is now wanted in 190 countries. Flores’ lawyers claim they have had no communication with him.

Although evidence of Flores’ misdeeds was brought to light by current President Mauricio Funes months ago, it was only following enormous public outcry and pressure from the President that the Attorney General—who has deep ties to the ARENA party—finally filed charges. He did so just in time, as the statute of limitations for the crimes would have expired this May 31^st. The charges carry a sentence of around 15 years in prison. The diverse non-profit and social movement groups in El Salvador that make up the Social Alliance Against Corruption call the arrest warrant an “important precedent,” but have also sharply criticized the Attorney General’s actions, calling the charges insufficient and fearing that Flores will face an inappropriately lax prosecution and sentencing. On Monday, May 12, Alliance member groups FESPAD (Foundation for the Study of the Application of the Law) and the ISD (Social Initiative for Democracy) will petition the court to be included as plaintiffs in the case.