President of El Salvador

President of the Republic of El Salvador
Presidente de la República de El Salvador
Presidential seal
Incumbent Nayib Bukele since 1 June 2019
Executive branch of the government of El Salvador
Style	His Excellency[1]
Type	Head of state Head of government Commander-in-chief
Residence	Casa Presidencial
Appointer	Elected by the citizenry
Term length	5 years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of El Salvador
Formation	22 February 1841
First holder	Juan José Guzmán
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Vice President of El Salvador
Salary	US$5,181 per month (2017)[2]
Website	www.presidencia.gob.sv

Politics of El Salvador
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Executive President Nayib Bukele Vice President Félix Ulloa
Legislature Legislative Assembly President: Ernesto Castro
Administrative divisions Departments Municipalities
Elections Recent elections Presidential: 2014 2019 2024 Legislative: 2018 2021 2024 Political parties
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The president of the Republic of El Salvador (Spanish: Presidente de la República de El Salvador)^[3] is the head of state and head of government of El Salvador. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of El Salvador.

The office of president of El Salvador was created by the 1841 constitution of El Salvador. Nayib Bukele has served as President of El Salvador since 1 June 2019.

Since 1962, presidential terms are five years long. The constitution has prohibited presidential re-election for most of Salvadoran history with some exceptions during the mid 1800s. Since 1983, the constitution has permitted non-consecutive re-election once, and since 2021, the Supreme Court of Justice has interpreted the constitution as allowing immediate re-election once; presidents are only allowed to serve up to two terms.

Each 1 June, the president is accountable to the Legislative Assembly for the contributions and government development that the president, the vice president and the Council of Ministers developed from the beginning of the presidential term.

In 1824, the state of El Salvador drafted its first constitution which created the office of Head of State, the precursor of the presidency. When El Salvador declared independence from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1841, its new constitution created the office of President of El Salvador.^[4]

In 1841, El Salvador was constituted as an independent and sovereign nation after the rupture of the Federal Republic of Central America in 1838. At that time, the legislative body created a constitution to legitimize the nation of El Salvador and also named Juan Lindo provisional president of the Republic of El Salvador on 2 February 1841. It was not until 26 September 1842 Juan José Guzmán was elected by the people as President of El Salvador. From that moment, the republic suffered a constant series of provisional governments that brought many leaders to power.

In 1858, Captain General Gerardo Barrios became president in which his government gave entrance to the "French Bread". He resigned from power in 1863 and Francisco Dueñas became president.

It was not until the 1886 constitution of the El Salvador was ratified when the presidential term is increased from two to four years, beginning and ending the presidential terms on 1 March. In 1913, before the death of Manuel Enrique Araujo, a family dynasty would begin. The Meléndez-Quiñonez Dynasty lasted 18 years until Arturo Araujo became president.

In 1931, a coup d'état led by Vice President General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez overthrew Arturo Araujo. This dictatorial government would establish the foundations of a rigid and totally militarized nation. It was not until 1939 when General Martínez called for a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution which established that the presidential term would be increased from 4 to 6 years and would begin and end on 1 January. During his presidency, Martínez initiated La Matanza which killed 25,000 indigenous peoples. Martínez would be overthrown 12 years later in 1944 and General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez became provisional president.

From that moment, the presidency once again showed dictatorial instability and military governments began to be established to the point of creating a republic with military authoritarianism which would end in 1982. In 1950, Lieutenant Colonel Óscar Osorio constitutionally became the president of the Republic and a new constitution was drafted where the presidential term would be 6 years and begin and end on 14 September. Osorio was known as the president of the social programs since he implemented and founded programs such as the Urban Housing Institute (IVU), the Autonomous Port Executive Commission (CEPA) among others that benefited the nation.

In 1960, a coup d'état overthrew President José María Lemus which led to the formation of a Junta of Government which would later be overthrown by the Civic-Military Directory in 1961. This was the case until the constitutional order was reestablished and another constitution was created in 1962 which would bring with it significant presidential reforms. From that moment, the presidential term would last 5 years and begin and end on 1 July.

On 15 October 1979, the last coup d'état in Salvadoran history took place where a group of young soldiers and officers overthrew General Carlos Humberto Romero. The coup marked the beginning of the Salvadoran Civil War which would rage on from 1979 to 1992. The Revolutionary Government Junta was established and ruled over El Salvador while fighting against the communist guerrilla group Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). The Junta was abolished in 1982 and Álvaro Magaña became President of the Republic.

The 1983 Constituent Assembly decided to create the 1983 constitution of El Salvador which set presidential terms to 5 years and would begin and end on June 1. The civil war greatly affected the political stability of the country.

President José Napoleón Duarte would lead the government against the FMLN from 1984 to 1989. In 1989, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) won the 1989 presidential election. Alfredo Cristiani became the first president of ARENA. ARENA won the presidential elections in 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2004. Its presidents were Alfredo Cristiani, Armando Calderón Sol, Francisco Flores, and Antonio Saca.

The Civil War ended in 1992 and the FMLN became a legal political party in accordance to the Chapultepec Peace Accords.

In 20 years of government, El Salvador was characterized by the privatization of national services such as coffee, telecommunications, the pension system, the National Bank, the Electric Power Service, among others. In 2001, the Economic Dollarization System was carried out in the country, a measure adopted by then President Francisco Flores which would have great long-term consequences for the Salvadoran economy and adopted the US dollar as legal currency.

Mauricio Funes won the 2009 presidential election ending 20 years of ARENA rule and marked the first FMLN presidency. Salvador Sánchez Cerén became the second FMLN president in 2014 after narrowly defeating Norman Quijano.

In 2019, Nayib Bukele, from the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA), won the 2019 presidential election ending 10 years of FMLN rule. He was the first president since Duarte to not be a member of either ARENA or FMLN. He was the second president from Palestinian descent, after Saca. He was inaugurated on 1 June 2019.

According to the 1983 constitution and the Law of Policial Parties, a candidate for the presidency must be at least 30 years old. A candidate must also be either a Salvadoran citizen by birth or have a parent who is a Salvadoran citizen. Candidates cannot have had their rights as a citizen suspended within the 6 years prior to an election, and all candidates must be affiliated with a political party registered with the Supreme Electoral Court.^[5][6]

Several individuals are explicitly prohibited by constitution from seeking the office of president. Neither the president of the Legislative Assembly nor the president of the Supreme Court of Justice may run for president "during the year prior to the day the presidential term begins".^[7] Cabinet ministers, vice ministers, and the directors of government institutions are also prohibited to seek the presidency under the same one year restriction, as are the vice president, anyone designated by the Legislative Assembly as a presidential designate, and the incumbent president's fourth-degree relatives.^[8] Active military personnel, former military personnel who had not yet been retired for three years, and the clergy are also prohibited from seeking the presidency.^[7][9][10]

During the 1800s and early 1900s, very few presidential elections were free and fair and political violence was common.^[11] During the 1950s, the president was elected through first-past-the-post voting, and during the 1960s and 1970s, the Legislative Assembly elected the president if no candidate received an absolute majority.^[12] Since the ratification of the 1983 constitution, a presidential candidate must receive an absolute majority (50% + 1) to win a presidential election; if no candidate receives an absolute majority, a second round between the two candidates with the most valid votes would be held within one month of the first round.^[13]

According to the 1983 constitution, the is a part of the executive branch of the Salvadoran government along with the vice president and the cabinet. The president appoints his cabinet ministers, vice ministers, and the governors of El Salvador's 14 departments (the equivalent of states or provinces).^[14] The president serves as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of El Salvador and is in charge of El Salvador's foreign affairs.^[15]

The president is allowed to submit legislation to the Legislative Assembly for approval. The president is also allowed to veto any legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, but the legislature can override a veto with a two-third majority vote. The president can challenge the constitutionality of law before the Supreme Court of Justice, but if the court rules the legislation is constitution, the president is required to sign the legislation into law.^[16]

The Legislative Assembly exerts some checks on the president's power as provided by the constitution. The president requires the approval of the Legislative Assembly in order to leave El Salvador for any reason. The president is also required to report anything to the Legislative Assembly upon request with the exception of military secrets, as well as to address the Legislative Assembly at the start of every calendar year regarding the prior year's government affairs. The Legislative Assembly is able to impeach and remove the president with a two-thirds majority vote. The president cannot ratify international treaties without the approval of the Legislative Assembly.^[15]

The length of presidential terms has varied throughout Salvadoran history. From 1841 to 1864, presidential terms lasted two years. From 1864 to 1871, presidential terms were extended to last four years. Two year terms were briefly restored from 1871 to 1872 before being reverted back to four year terms. Four-year long presidential terms remained extant (with a brief reduction to three years between 1883 and 1886) until the 1939 constitution extended presidential terms to six years. Term lengths were briefly reverted back to four years in 1946 before being extended back to six years in 1950.^[7][17] Since 1962, presidential terms have been five years long.^[18]

For most of Salvadoran history, either immediate re-election or re-election entirely was prohibited.^[7][18] The 1841 constitution allowed presidents to seek re-election after having left office for at least one full term. The 1864 constitution permitted for an incumbent president to seek re-election immediately, but the 1871 constitution restored the requirement of presidents to wait one full term before being eligible for re-election. This restoration was short-lived as the 1872 prohibited re-election entirely. This prohibition on re-election persisted until 1983;^[a][7][17] the 1983 constitution prohibits individuals from seeking re-election who served as president in the six months "during the period immediately before" or for the last six months "before the beginning of the presidential term".^[19] The constitution prohibits presidents from serving three or more terms.^[7] The constitution mandates the country's armed forces to intervene in the country's politics if a president seeks illegal re-election.^[20]

In May 2021, the Legislative Assembly removed and replaced the five justices of the Supreme Court of Justice's Constitutional Chamber. In September 2021, the new justices ruled that constitution in fact permits immediate re-election, arguing that the constitution reads that individual who served as president prior to the incumbent term was actually prohibited from seeking re-election rather than the incumbent president.^[7] This interpretation of the constitution was criticized as unconstitutional by lawyers, politicians, and activists.^[19][21]

The only six presidents in Salvadoran history have successfully been re-elected: Doroteo Vasconcelos, Francisco Dueñas, Santiago González, Rafael Zaldívar, Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, and Bukele.^[7]

The vice president of El Salvador is first in the line of presidential succession according to the constitution of El Salvador. After the vice president, anyone named by the Legislative Assembly as a "designate" ("designado") succeed the vice president in the line of succession. The Legislative Assembly can appoint up to two designates.^[8]

Political parties and other affiliations

Status

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party		Vice President		Ref.
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
Political Chief of San Salvador (1821–1824)
1		Doctor Pedro Barriere (1768–1827)	—	21 September 1821	28 November 1821	68 days		Independent	Office not established		[22]
2		Doctor José Matías Delgado (1767–1832)	—	28 November 1821	9 February 1823	1 year, 73 days		Independent			[23]
3		Brigadier General Vicente Filísola (1789–1850)	—	9 February 1823	7 May 1823	87 days		Military			[24]
4		Brigadier General Felipe Codallos (1790–1849)	—	7 May 1823	25 May 1823	18 days		Military			[25]
–		Consultive Junta	—	25 May 1823	17 June 1823	23 days		Military			[26]
–		Mariano Prado (1776–1837) Provisional Political Chief	—	17 June 1823	22 April 1824	310 days		Liberal			[27]
Governor of the State of El Salvador (1824–1841)
5		Juan Manuel Rodríguez (1771–1847)	—	22 April 1824	1 October 1824	162 days		Independent	Office not established		[28]
6		Mariano Prado (1776–1837)	—	1 October 1824	13 December 1824	73 days		Liberal			[27]
7		Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz (1764–1828)	—	13 December 1824	1 November 1826	1 year, 323 days		Liberal		Mariano Prado	[29]
–		Mariano Prado (1776–1837) Acting Governor	—	1 November 1826	30 January 1829	2 years, 90 days		Liberal			[27]
8		José María Cornejo (1788–1864)	1829	30 January 1829	16 February 1830	1 year, 17 days		Conservative		Brigadier General Nicolás Espinoza	[30]
9		José Damián Villacorta (1796–1860)	—	16 February 1830	4 December 1830	291 days		Independent			[31]
10		José María Cornejo (1788–1864)	—	4 December 1830	3 April 1832	1 year, 121 days		Conservative			[30]
–		Brigadier General Francisco Morazán (1792–1842) Provisional Governor	—	3 April 1832	13 May 1832	40 days		Liberal/Military		Colonel Joaquín de San Martín	[32]
11		Colonel Joaquín de San Martín (1770–1854)	—	13 May 1832	25 July 1832	73 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant		[33]
12		Mariano Prado (1776–1837)	—	25 July 1832	1 July 1833	341 days		Liberal		Colonel Joaquín de San Martín	[34]
13		Colonel Joaquín de San Martín (1770–1854)	1833	1 July 1833	23 June 1834	357 days		Liberal/Military		Colonel Lorenzo González	[33]
–		Brigadier General Carlos Salazar Castro (1800–1867) Provisional Governor	—	23 June 1834	13 July 1834	20 days		Military	Office vacant		[35]
–		José Gregorio Salazar (1773–1838) Provisional Governor	—	13 July 1834	30 September 1834	79 days		Independent			[36]
–		Joaquín Escolán y Balibrera (?–?) Provisional Governor	—	30 September 1834	14 October 1834	14 days		Independent		José María Silva	[37]
–		José María Silva (1804–1876) Acting Governor	—	14 October 1834	2 March 1835	139 days		Independent			[38]
–		Joaquín Escolán y Balibrera (?–?) Acting Governor	—	2 March 1835	10 April 1835	39 days		Independent	Office vacant		[37]
14		Brigadier General Nicolás Espinoza (1795–1845)	1835	10 April 1835	15 November 1835	219 days		Liberal/Military		José María Silva	[39]
–		Colonel Francisco Gómez (1796–1838) Acting Governor	—	15 November 1835	1 February 1836	78 days		Independent/Military	Office vacant		[40]
15		Diego Vigil (1799–1845)	—	1 February 1836	23 May 1837	1 year, 111 days		Liberal		Timoteo Menéndez	[41]
–		Timoteo Menéndez (?–?) Acting Governor	—	23 May 1837	7 June 1837	15 days		Independent			[42]
16		Diego Vigil (1799–1845)	—	7 June 1837	6 January 1838	213 days		Liberal			[41]
–		Timoteo Menéndez (?–?) Acting Governor	—	6 January 1838	23 May 1839	1 year, 137 days		Independent			[42]
–		Colonel Antonio José Cañas (1785–1844) Acting Governor	—	23 May 1839	11 July 1839	49 days		Military	Office vacant		[43]
17		Brigadier General Francisco Morazán (1792–1842)	—	11 July 1839	16 February 1840	40 days		Liberal/Military		José María Silva	[32]
–		José María Silva (1804–1876) Acting Governor	—	16 February 1840	5 April 1840	49 days		Independent			[38]
–		Municipal Council of San Salvador	—	5 April 1840	7 April 1840	2 days		Independent	Office vacant		[44]
–		Colonel Antonio José Cañas (1785–1844) Acting Governor	—	7 April 1840	20 September 1840	166 days		Military			[43]
–		Norberto Ramírez (1802–1856) Acting Governor	—	20 September 1840	7 January 1841	109 days		Independent			[45]
–		Juan Lindo (1790–1857) Provisional Governor	—	7 January 1841	30 January 1841	23 days		Conservative		Pedro José Arce	[46]
President of the Republic of El Salvador (1841–present)
–		Juan Lindo (1790–1857) Provisional President	—	30 January 1841	20 June 1841	141 days		Conservative		Pedro José Arce [es]	[47]
–		Pedro José Arce [es] (1801–1871) Acting President	—	20 June 1841	28 June 1841	8 days		Independent			[48]
18		Juan Lindo (1790–1857)	—	28 June 1841	1 February 1842	218 days		Conservative			[47]
–		Brigadier General José Escolástico Marín (?–1846) Acting President	—	1 February 1842	12 April 1842	70 days		Military	Office vacant		[49]
19		Brigadier General Juan José Guzmán (1797–1847)	—	12 April 1842	30 June 1842	79 days		Conservative/Military		Pedro José Arce [es]	[50]
–		Dionisio Villacorta [es] (?–1846) Acting President	—	30 June 1842	19 July 1842	19 days		Independent			[51]
–		Brigadier General José Escolástico Marín (?–1846) Acting President	—	19 July 1842	26 September 1842	69 days		Military			[49]
20		Brigadier General Juan José Guzmán (1797–1847)	—	26 September 1842	26 January 1843	122 days		Conservative/Military			[50]
–		Pedro José Arce [es] (1801–1871) Acting President	—	26 January 1843	8 March 1843	41 days		Independent			[48]
21		Brigadier General Juan José Guzmán (1797–1847)	—	8 March 1843	31 January 1844	329 days		Conservative/Military			[50]
–		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1844	7 February 1844	6 days		Independent	Office vacant		[52]
22		Brigadier General Francisco Malespín (1806–1846)	1844	7 February 1844	9 May 1844	92 days		Conservative/Military		Luis Ayala	[53]
										Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán
–		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	9 May 1844	16 June 1844	38 days		Conservative			[54]
23		Brigadier General Francisco Malespín (1806–1846)	—	16 June 1844	25 October 1844	131 days		Conservative/Military			[53]
–		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	25 October 1844	16 February 1845	114 days		Conservative			[54]
–		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	16 February 1845	25 April 1845	68 days		Independent			[52]
–		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	25 April 1845	1 February 1846	282 days		Conservative			[54]
–		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1846	21 February 1846	20 days		Independent	Office vacant		[52]
24		Doctor Eugenio Aguilar (1804–1879)	1846	21 February 1846	12 July 1846	141 days		Liberal		José Campo	[55]
–		Fermín Palacios (?–?) Acting President	—	12 July 1846	21 July 1846	9 days		Independent			[52]
25		Doctor Eugenio Aguilar (1804–1879)	—	21 July 1846	1 February 1848	1 year, 195 days		Liberal			[55]
–		Tomás Medina (1803–1884) Acting President	—	1 February 1848	3 February 1848	2 days		Independent	Office vacant		[56]
–		José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) Acting President	—	3 February 1848	7 February 1848	4 days		Independent		José Félix Quirós	[57]
26		Doroteo Vasconcelos (1803–1883)	1848	7 February 1848	26 January 1850	1 year, 353 days		Liberal			[58]
–		Ramón Rodríguez (1803–1884) Acting President	—	26 January 1850	1 February 1850	6 days		Independent			[59]
–		José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) Acting President	—	1 February 1850	4 February 1850	3 days		Independent			[57]
27		Doroteo Vasconcelos (1803–1883)	1850	4 February 1850	12 January 1851	342 days		Liberal			[58]
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	12 January 1851	19 March 1851	66 days		Conservative			[60]
–		José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) Acting President	—	19 March 1851	3 May 1851	45 days		Independent			[57]
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	3 May 1851	30 January 1852	272 days		Conservative			[60]
–		Colonel José María San Martín (1811–1857) Acting President	—	30 January 1852	1 February 1852	2 days		Conservative/Military			[61]
28		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884)	1852	1 February 1852	1 February 1854	2 years, 0 days		Conservative		Tomás Medina	[60]
–		Vicente Gómez (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1854	15 February 1854	14 days		Independent		Brigadier General José Mariano Hernández	[62]
29		Colonel José María San Martín (1811–1857)	1854	15 February 1854	26 September 1854	223 days		Conservative/Military			[61]
–		Brigadier General José Mariano Hernández (1786–1864) Acting President	—	26 September 1854	13 November 1854	48 days		Conservative/Military			[63]
30		Colonel José María San Martín (1811–1857)	—	13 November 1854	1 February 1856	1 year, 80 days		Conservative/Military			[61]
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	1 February 1856	12 February 1856	11 days		Conservative		Francisco Dueñas	[60]
31		Rafael Campo (1813–1890)	1856	12 February 1856	12 May 1856	90 days		Conservative			[64]
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Acting President	—	12 May 1856	19 July 1856	68 days		Conservative			[65]
32		Rafael Campo (1813–1890)	—	19 July 1856	1 February 1858	1 year, 197 days		Conservative			[64]
–		Lorenzo Zepeda (?–?) Acting President	—	1 February 1858	7 February 1858	6 days		Independent	Office vacant		[66]
33		Brigadier General Miguel Santín del Castillo (1830–1880)	1858	7 February 1858	24 June 1858	137 days		Conservative		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán	[67]
–		Captain General Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865) Acting President	—	24 June 1858	16 September 1858	84 days		Liberal			[68]
34		Brigadier General Miguel Santín del Castillo (1830–1880)	—	16 September 1858	19 January 1859	125 days		Conservative			[67]
–		Brigadier General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (1801–1875) Acting President	—	19 January 1859	15 February 1859	27 days		Conservative			[54]
–		José María Peralta (1807–1883) Acting President	—	15 February 1859	12 March 1859	25 days		Independent	Office vacant		[69]
–		Captain General Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865) Acting President	—	12 March 1859	1 February 1860	326 days		Liberal			[68]
35		Captain General Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865)	1859	1 February 1860	16 December 1860	319 days		Liberal		José Félix Quirós	[68]
–		José María Peralta (1807–1883) Acting President	—	16 December 1860	7 February 1861	53 days		Independent			[69]
36		Captain General Gerardo Barrios (1813–1865)	—	7 February 1861	26 October 1863	2 years, 261 days		Liberal			[68]
–		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884) Provisional President	—	26 October 1863	1 February 1865	1 year, 98 days		Conservative	Office vacant		[60]
37		Francisco Dueñas (1810–1884)	1864 1869	1 February 1865	12 April 1871	6 years, 70 days		Conservative		Gregorio Arbizú	[60]
										José María Parrilla
–		Marshal Santiago González (1818–1887) Provisional President	—	12 April 1871	1 February 1872	295 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant		[70]
38		Marshal Santiago González (1818–1887)	1872	1 February 1872	10 May 1872	99 days		Liberal/Military		Manuel Méndez	[70]
–		Manuel Méndez (?–1872) Acting President	—	10 May 1872	9 July 1872	122 days		Independent			[71]
39		Marshal Santiago González (1818–1887)	—	9 July 1872	1 February 1876	3 years, 145 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant		[70]
40		Andrés del Valle (1833–1888)	Jan. 1876	1 February 1876	1 May 1876	90 days		Liberal		Santiago González	[72]
–		Doctor Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903) Provisional President	—	1 May 1876	1 February 1880	3 years, 276 days		Liberal	Office vacant		[73]
41		Doctor Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903)	Jun. 1876	1 February 1880	6 April 1884	4 years, 65 days		Liberal			[73]
–		Ángel Guirola (1826–1910) Acting President	—	6 April 1884	21 August 1884	4 years, 202 days		Independent			[74]
42		Doctor Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903)	—	21 August 1884	14 May 1885	266 days		Liberal			[73]
–		Divisional General Fernando Figueroa (1849–1919)	—	14 May 1885	18 June 1885	35 days		Liberal/Military			[75]
–		José Rosales Herrador (1827–1891) Provisional President	—	18 June 1885	22 June 1885	4 days		Independent			[76]
–		Brigadier General Francisco Menéndez (1830–1890) Provisional President	—	22 June 1885	1 March 1887	1 year, 252 days		Liberal/Military			[77]
43		Brigadier General Francisco Menéndez (1830–1890)	1887	1 March 1887	22 June 1890	3 years, 113 days		Liberal/Military			[77]
–		Brigadier General Carlos Ezeta (1852–1903) Provisional President	—	22 June 1890	1 March 1891	252 days		Liberal/Military			[78]
44		Brigadier General Carlos Ezeta (1852–1903)	1891	1 March 1891	10 June 1894	3 years, 101 days		Liberal/Military		Brigadier General Antonio Ezeta	[78]
–		Brigadier General Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez (1845–1921) Provisional President	—	10 June 1894	1 March 1895	264 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant		[79]
45		Brigadier General Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez (1845–1921)	1895	1 March 1895	14 November 1898	3 years, 258 days		Liberal/Military		Prudencio Alfaro	[79]
–		Brigadier General Tomás Regalado (1861–1906) Provisional President	—	14 November 1898	1 March 1899	107 days		Liberal/Military	Office vacant		[80]
46		Brigadier General Tomás Regalado (1861–1906)	1899	1 March 1899	1 March 1903	4 years		Liberal/Military		Francisco Reyes	[80]
47		Brigadier General Pedro José Escalón (1847–1923)	1903	1 March 1903	1 March 1907	4 years		Conservative/Military		Calixto Velado Eduardo	[81]
48		Divisional General Fernando Figueroa (1849–1919)	1907	1 March 1907	1 March 1911	4 years		Liberal/Military		Manuel Enrique Araujo	[75]
49		Doctor Manuel Enrique Araujo (1865–1913)	1911	1 March 1911	9 February 1913	1 year, 345 days		Liberal		Onofre Durán Santillana	[82]
–		Carlos Meléndez (1861–1919) Provisional President	—	9 February 1913	29 August 1914	1 year, 201 days		Liberal	Office vacant		[83]
–		Doctor Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950) Provisional President	—	29 August 1914	1 March 1915	184 days		Liberal			[84]
50		Carlos Meléndez (1861–1919)	1915	1 March 1915	21 December 1918	3 years, 295 days		Liberal		Alfonso Quiñónez Molina	[83]
–		Doctor Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950) Provisional President	—	21 December 1918	1 March 1919	70 days		National Democratic Party	Office vacant		[84]
51		Jorge Meléndez (1871–1953)	1919	1 March 1919	1 March 1923	4 years		National Democratic Party		Alfonso Quiñónez Molina	[85]
52		Doctor Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950)	1923	1 March 1923	1 March 1927	4 years		National Democratic Party		Pío Romero Bosque	[84]
53		Doctor Pío Romero Bosque (1860–1935)	1927	1 March 1927	1 March 1931	4 years		National Democratic Party		Gustavo Vides	[86]
54		Arturo Araujo (1878–1967)	1931	1 March 1931	2 December 1931	276 days		Salvadoran Laborist Party		Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez	[87]
–		Civic Directory	—	2 December 1931	4 December 1931	2 days		Military			[88]
–		Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (1882–1966) Provisional President	—	4 December 1931	28 August 1934	2 years, 267 days		Military			[89]
–		Brigadier General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1879–1962) Provisional President	—	28 August 1934	1 March 1935	185 days		National Pro Patria Party/Military	Office vacant		[90]
55		Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (1882–1966)	1935 1939 1944	1 March 1935	9 May 1944	9 years, 69 days		National Pro Patria Party/Military			[89]
–		Brigadier General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1879–1962) Provisional President	—	9 May 1944	21 October 1944	165 days		National Pro Patria Party/Military			[90]
–		Colonel Osmín Aguirre y Salinas (1889–1977) Provisional President	—	21 October 1944	1 March 1945	131 days		Military			[91]
56		Brigadier General Salvador Castaneda Castro (1888–1965)	1945	1 March 1945	14 December 1948	3 years, 288 days		Unification Social Democratic Party/Military		Manuel Adriano Vilanova	[92]
–		Revolutionary Council of Government [es]	—	14 December 1948	14 September 1950	1 year, 274 days		Military	Office vacant		[93]
57		Lieutenant Colonel Óscar Osorio (1910–1969)	1950	14 September 1950	14 September 1956	6 years		Revolutionary Party of Democratic Unification/Military		José María Peralta	[94]
58		Lieutenant Colonel José María Lemus (1911–1993)	1956	14 September 1956	– 26 October 1960	4 years, 42 days		Revolutionary Party of Democratic Unification/Military		Humberto Costa	[95]
–		Junta of Government	—	26 October 1960	25 January 1961	91 days		Military	Office vacant		[96]
–		Civic-Military Directory	—	25 January 1961	25 January 1962	1 year, 0 days		Military			[97]
–		Doctor Eusebio Rodolfo Cordón Cea (1899–1966) Provisional President	—	25 January 1962	1 July 1962	157 days		Independent			[98]
59		Lieutenant Colonel Julio Adalberto Rivera (1921–1973)	1962	1 July 1962	1 July 1967	5 years		National Conciliation Party/Military		Francisco Roberto Lima	[99]
60		Brigadier General Fidel Sánchez Hernández (1917–2003)	1967	1 July 1967	1 July 1972	5 years		National Conciliation Party/Military		Humberto Guillermo Cuestas	[100]
61		Colonel Arturo Armando Molina (1927–2021)	1972	1 July 1972	1 July 1977	5 years		National Conciliation Party/Military		Enrique Mayorga Rivas	[101]
62		Brigadier General Carlos Humberto Romero (1924–2017)	1977	1 July 1977	15 October 1979	2 years, 106 days		National Conciliation Party/Military		Julio Astacio	[102]
–		Revolutionary Government Junta	—	15 October 1979	2 May 1982	2 years, 199 days		Military	Office vacant		[103]
63		Doctor Álvaro Magaña (1925–2001)	1982	2 May 1982	1 June 1984	2 years, 30 days		Independent		Raúl Molina Martínez	[104]
										Mauricio Gutiérrez Castro
										Pablo Mauricio Alvergue
64		José Napoleón Duarte (1925–1990)	1984	1 June 1984	1 June 1989	5 years		Christian Democratic Party		Rodolfo Castillo	[105]
65		Alfredo Cristiani (born 1947)	1989	1 June 1989	1 June 1994	5 years		Nationalist Republican Alliance		José Francisco Merino	[106]
66		Doctor Armando Calderón Sol (1948–2017)	1994	1 June 1994	1 June 1999	5 years		Nationalist Republican Alliance		Enrique Borgo Bustamante	[107]
67		Francisco Flores Pérez (1959–2016)	1999	1 June 1999	1 June 2004	5 years		Nationalist Republican Alliance		Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt	[108]
68		Antonio Saca (born 1965)	2004	1 June 2004	1 June 2009	5 years		Nationalist Republican Alliance		Ana Vilma de Escobar	[109]
69		Mauricio Funes (born 1959)	2009	1 June 2009	1 June 2014	5 years		Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front		Salvador Sánchez Cerén
70		Salvador Sánchez Cerén (born 1944)	2014	1 June 2014	1 June 2019	5 years		Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front		Óscar Ortiz
71		Nayib Bukele (born 1981)	2019 2024	1 June 2019	Incumbent	5 years, 201 days		Grand Alliance for National Unity		Félix Ulloa
								Nuevas Ideas
–		Claudia Rodríguez de Guevara (born 1980/1981) Acting President	—	1 December 2023	1 June 2024	183 days		Nuevas Ideas

The following timeline visualizes the presidencies of El Salvador since 1821.^[110]

Candidate		Running mate	Party	Votes	%
	Nayib Bukele	Félix Ulloa	Nuevas Ideas	2,701,725	84.65
	Manuel Flores	Werner Marroquín	Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front	204,167	6.40
	Joel Sánchez	Hilcia Bonilla	Nationalist Republican Alliance	177,881	5.57
	Luis Parada	Celia Medrano [es]	Nuestro Tiempo	65,076	2.04
	Javier Renderos	Rafael Montalvo	Solidary Force	23,473	0.74
	Marina Murillo	Fausto Carranza	Salvadoran Patriotic Fraternity	19,293	0.60
Total				3,191,615	100.00
Valid votes				3,191,615	97.65
Invalid votes				61,787	1.89
Blank votes				15,064	0.46
Total votes				3,268,466	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				6,214,399	52.60
Source: TSE at the Wayback Machine (archived 23 February 2024)

• Colonial Intendant of San Salvador

• Presidencia de El Salvador (archived) (in Spanish)