The former deputy of the Central American Parliament and former candidate for the presidency of ARENA in the 2014 elections, Norman Quijano, arrived this Monday afternoon in El Salvador from the United States, according to the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic.
«This day, we received Norman Quijano from the United States authorities. At this time, you will be formally notified of your conviction for the crimes of illicit groups and electoral fraud,” the public ministry published.
In April 2024, the Second Criminal Chamber of San Salvador sentenced him to 13 years and four months in prison for the crimes of illicit groups and electoral fraud.
The magistrates of the superior court imposed the sentence on him for having met with gangs and negotiated with the main leaders, a range of benefits in exchange for them voting for him and electing him president, an action that was classified by the Chamber as electoral fraud.
Evidence consisting of videos, testimonies and documents incriminated the politician, as was established in the sentence that has now become final.
“Quijano was accused by the late mayor of Ilopango, Salvador Ruano, of having ordered pacts with gangs during the 2014 presidential elections, when he was a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic for the ARENA party,” the Prosecutor’s Office mentions in its publication.
During the trial, the magistrates validated videos that the gang leaders themselves recorded and where Quijano can be seen meeting and asking them to revoke their decision to prevent people from going to vote and that all gang members be told to vote for ARENA.
In exchange, Quijano told the gang members that if they gave him the vote when he was in the presidency he would invest $100 million to benefit the gangs and that this money would come out of the nation’s general budget.
The Chamber also heard the statement given virtually by the designated witness Noé, one of the ringleaders who appeared at the meeting with Quijano. What Noé expressed reinforced the videos presented as evidence by the Prosecutor’s Office.
At the public hearing, the Attorney General’s Office presented information about that meeting between Quijano and the gangs at the beginning of March 2014 at the church headquarters of a network of pastors, in the Flor Blanca neighborhood.
In addition to the $100 million offered, there were payments of money, the MS was given $50,000, and the two factions of gang 18, $25,000 each.
«Norman Quijano will be transferred to a penitentiary center, where he will serve the sentence imposed by the Salvadoran justice system. We thank the United States authorities for the collaboration provided, which has allowed Norman Quijano to be brought to justice,” highlighted the Prosecutor’s Office.
Other convicted politicians
For having met with the main gang leaders and negotiating votes for the 2014 presidential elections, as well as the 2015 legislative and municipal elections, the First Sentencing Court of San Salvador convicted the former mayor of San Salvador Ernesto Muyshondt, the former ministers Benito Lara and Arístides Valencia, in September of last year; also the gang intermediaries, Paolo Lüers and Wilson Alvarado, the latter three are fugitives.
For former deputy and former Minister of Security, Benito Lara, as well as former Minister of the Interior Arístides Valencia, the sentence imposed is 28 years; 20 for electoral fraud and eight for illicit groups.
The court sentenced Ernesto Muyshondt to 18 years in prison, six years for illicit groups and 12 for electoral fraud.
For the gang intermediaries, Paolo Lüers and Wilson Alvarado, the sentence is 18 years; 12 for electoral fraud and six for illicit groups.
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