The first changes in the cabinet of Nayib Bukele’s government were announced in the morning hours of Wednesday, June 5.
According to a statement issued by Casa Presidente, Rodrigo Ayala, current deputy of the Legislative Assembly, was sworn in as the new president of the Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Exports of El Salvador (INVEST).
While Adolfo Muñoz will serve as the new legal secretary of the Presidency. According to the published review, Muñoz holds a degree in Legal Sciences and previously served as legal adviser to the vice presidency.
Initially, he held various positions in the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and then devoted himself to legal advice, details the statement.
Ayala and Múñoz will replace Salvador Gómez and Conan Castro in these positions, who held the charges in INVEST (formerly PROESA) and in the legal secretariat of CAPRES in the recently completed five-year period.
Adolfo Muñoz will serve as the new legal secretary of the Presidency. Photo: courtesy Presidential House.
For now, five days after Nayib Bukele’s inauguration, these are the first announced changes. According to the Government, further swearing-in could be made in the coming months, but as long as it does not happen, the other members of the outgoing cabinet (2019-2024) will remain.
Muñoz was part of the ad hoc team led by Vice President Felix Ulloa to draft the reform of the Constitution. This was handed over to Nayib Bukele in 2022, but has not been taken into account by the governing party to be officially discussed, and was also set aside when the reform of the Constitution was passed at the end of the last legislature to create a new mechanic to amend the Magna Carta.
In the case of Ayala, Ayala must apply to the Assembly for permission to hold the position for which he has been appointed. This should happen during today’s plenary meeting.
Conan Castro is part of the group of Salvadorans sanctioned by the United States by including them on the Engel List and the Magnitsky Global Law.
Castro is charged with “undermines democratic processes or institutions by helping to de-escalate the irregular dismissal of five Supreme Court judges and the Attorney General; events that occurred on the night of May 1, 2021.
Media investigations place Castro as responsible for pushing and gathering the alleged resignation letters from the ousted magistrates in 2021.
Being a part of the political project that made it possible for El Salvador’s transformation processes to be priceless.
Conan Castro, former CAPRES legal secretary
While it was not announced that Gómez and Castro would receive other appointments, the latter shared a tweet in which he said he was ready for new challenges and new changes to continue building a new country.
In addition to the announcements made, the Presidency reported that Nayib Bukele will gradually report on changes to be made in the cabinet and ministerial structure over the coming months.
GOES has not reported any swearing from ministers, so lawyers say they are not entitled to hold the positions.
This article has been translated after first appearing in La Prena Grafica