Party of former Marxist rebels wins presidential election in El Salvador

Mauricio Funes, leader of the former Marxist rebel Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front party, triumphed in El Salvador’s presidential election last night, ending 18 straight years of rule by the conservative Arena party. The FMNL, which won 51.3 per cent of the vote to Arena’s 48.7, was founded by former Marxist guerillas after the end of El Salvador’s civil war in 1991. Mr. Funes, however, is a former television journalist and was never a combatant.

BBC News