El Salvador ex-president Antonio Saca freed after 10-year corruption sentence
Saca confessed to diverting and laundering more than $300m in public funds during his 2004-2009 presidency under a plea deal that spared him a possible 30-year term.
At a glance
- Elias Antonio Saca, 61, was released after serving a 10-year sentence for corruption as El Salvador's president from 2004 to 2009.
- He confessed under a plea deal to diverting and laundering more than $300m in public funds, avoiding a possible 30-year term.
- Saca was ordered to repay $260m to the state and is one of four Salvadoran ex-presidents to face corruption charges.
Elias Antonio Saca, the former president of El Salvador, has been released after serving a 10-year prison sentence for corruption. The 61-year-old went to court on Thursday to formally report his release after completing the terms of a plea deal.
His lawyer, Mario Machado, said Saca had served his sentence in full and did not receive early-release benefits.
Under the plea bargain, Saca confessed to diverting and laundering more than $300 million in public funds during his 2004 to 2009 administration. The agreement allowed him to avoid a potential 30-year prison sentence.
Arrest, trial and sentence
Saca was first arrested during his son's wedding in 2016. In September 2018 he was sentenced to five years for embezzlement and a further five years for money laundering.
In 2019 he was found guilty of offering $10,000 to a court employee to obtain information about a case against him, although a judge determined that the second sentence formed part of his existing 10-year term.
During the initial trial, prosecutors said Saca appropriated funds from the state budget for himself and others, including taking more than $7 million for his former party. He was also ordered to repay $260 million to the state.
A businessman and radio broadcaster, Saca served as president with the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA).
Other corruption cases
Saca is one of four Salvadoran presidents who have faced corruption charges. His successor, Mauricio Funes, escaped to Nicaragua in September 2016 and died there in 2025.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Why was El Salvador's former president Antonio Saca imprisoned?
- He confessed under a plea deal to diverting and laundering more than $300m in public funds during his 2004-2009 presidency. In 2018 he was sentenced to five years for embezzlement and five years for money laundering.
- Did Antonio Saca receive early release from prison?
- His lawyer, Mario Machado, said Saca served his 10-year sentence in full without early-release benefits. He reported to court on Thursday to formally confirm his release.
- How much was Antonio Saca ordered to repay to El Salvador?
- He was ordered to repay $260m to the state. Prosecutors said he appropriated state budget funds for himself and others, including more than $7m for his former party, ARENA.
