ARENA Political Party Members. In the 2024 presidential election, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) political party experienced a significant decrease of 79.25% in votes compared to the 2019 election.
The once-influential political party obtained only 177,881 votes in the 2024 presidential elections, marking a substantial decrease of 679,203 votes compared to the 857,084 it received in 2019.
The ARENA political party held control of the executive branch from 1994 to 2009; however, it has lost the last four presidential elections, two to the FMLN party and two to Nayib Bukele (Bukele was a candidate under GANA in 2019 and New Ideas in 2024).
| 1994 | 1999 | 2004 | 2009 | 2014 | 2019 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | 649,478 | 614,248 | 1,314,436 | 1,284,588 | 1,047,592 | 857,084 | 177,881 |
| Change in votes | -35,230 | 700,188 | -29,848 | -236,996 | -190,508 | -679,203 | |
| -5.42% | 113.99% | -2.27% | -18.45% | -18.19% | -79.25% |
The highest voting outcome for ARENA in a presidential election occurred in 2004, with the party securing 1,314,436 votes.
Elias Antonio Saca won the presidency in 2004; however, his presidency is known for corruption. Ex-president Saca is in jail on a 10-year sentence for corruption.
The decline of ARENA is associated with instances of corruption involving several prominent party members, including former presidents. Additionally, it is attributed to the rise of Nayib Bukele and his political movement.
Corruption
Many Salvadorans believe that ARENA has been one of the most corrupt political parties in the country; it is hard to argue against that perception.
A notable illustration of corruption within the right-wing political party is evident in the fact that two out of the last three ARENA presidents since 1994 have faced corruption allegations at the highest level.
ARENA ex-president Francisco Flores (1999-2004) died while on house arrest awaiting trial for mishandling funds; and ex-president Tony Saca (2004-2009) is in jail, serving a ten-year sentence for corruption.
Nayib Bukele
Nayib Bukele and his political movement have significantly weakened the opposition, particularly ARENA, one of El Salvador’s longstanding political parties.
Nayib Bukele received 1,266,869 million more votes during the 2024 election than in the 2019 presidential elections. He increased his votes from 2019 by 88.29%
| Candidate | Political Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nayib Bukele | New Ideas | 2,701,725 | 84.65% |
| Manuel Flores | FMLN | 204,167 | 6.40% |
| Joel Sanchez | ARENA | 177,881 | 5.57% |
| Luis Parada | NT | 65,076 | 2.04% |
| Javier Renderos | FS | 23,473 | 0.74% |
| Marina Murillo | FPS | 19,293 | 0.60% |
SEE ALSO: Nayib Bukele Wins the 2024 Salvadoran Presidential Elections With Over 82.5% of Total Votes
| Candidate | Political Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nayib Bukele | GANA | 1,434,856 | 53.10% |
| Carlos Calleja | ARENA | 857,084 | 31.72% |
| Hugo Martinez | FMLN | 389,289 | 14.41% |
| Josue Alvarado | VAMOS | 20,763 | 0.77% |
ARENA’s Challenges
ARENA faces a challenging scenario in 2024; following the presidential elections, the party has fallen to the third position among the country’s political parties, ranking behind the FMLN and New Ideas.
Furthermore, ARENA won only two legislative seats for the 2024-2027 Legislative Assembly; this is a tremendous blow to the once-prominent political party.
