Manukhin Aleksei Anatol'evich – PhD in History, Senior Researcher, Institute of World History RAS
The legalization of irregular paramilitary groups is of considerable interest from the point of view of the development of political models of individual states and regions. In Latin America, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a number of rebel groups, through agreements with the state and the armed forces, transformed into legitimate political parties. One of the most successful "guerrilla" parties is the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (Frente Farabundo Martí para Liberación Nacional, FMLN). In 1992, following a bloody armed conflict, it concluded the Chapultepec Peace Accords with the country's government, opening the way to national politics. This article analyzes the ideology and activities of the FMLN in opposition (1994–2009; 2019–present) and at the helm of the state (2009–2019). The main object of the study is the relationship between the Front and the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (Alianza Republicana Nacionalista, ARENA) party and the administration of President Najib Bukele. It is shown that during its time in power, the FMLN acquired quite a strong position due to its energetic social policy. At the same time, excessive doctrinaire behavior of the top party leadership is noted, which prevented it from taking into account the changing moods of the electorate in time. The problem of corruption of high-ranking functionaries played an important role in discrediting the party. Following the 2021 parliamentary elections and the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, the Farabundistas lost the support of voters, losing representation in the national parliament and local government. At the same time, the work proposes several scenarios for overcoming the deep crisis in which the party finds itself. Among them, a special role is played by conducting information campaigns, as well as establishing contacts with historical competitors on the right.
El Salvador, Frente Farabundo Martí para Liberación Nacional, Nayib Bukele, guerrilla, armed conflict, parties, elections, democracy
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