René Merino Monroy

René Francis Merino Monroy (b. December 1963) is a Salvadoran counter admiral and the incumbent Minister of Defense of El Salvador.

Contralmirante

René Merino Monroy
Minister of National Defense
Assumed office
1 June 2019
PresidentNayib Bukele
Preceded byDavid Victoriano Munguía Payés
Personal details
BornDecember 1963 (age 57)
El Salvador
OccupationMilitary
Military service
Allegiance El Salvador
Branch/serviceSalvadoran Navy
Years of service? – present
Rank Contralmirante

Biography

René Merino Monroy was born in December 1963 in El Salvador.[1]

He was selected by President-elect Nayib Bukele to be his Minister of Defense. Merino Monroy was sworn in on 1 June 2019.[2][3] He was the first ever Salvadoran naval officer to hold the position.[4] Merino Monroy stated he would crackdown on gang activity in the country on 11 June 2019.[5]

René Merino Monroy faced controversy in early 2020 after President Bukele promoted him to Counter Admiral on 31 December 2019.[6][7] In El Salvador, a military officer goes into "retirement status" at age 55 which prevents them from receiving further promotions, but Merino Monroy was 56 at the time of his promotion.[1] Lawyers argued that his promotion was illegal according to article 13 of the Military Career Law,[1][7] but Merino Monroy defended his promotion stating "in active service, I am the oldest in the Armed Forces. In the Navy there are fewer of us who obtain the rank of [counter admiral]."[1] He added, "I submitted, like all my military promotion, to the pertinent evaluations, being evaluated by an evaluation and selection tribunal appointed in the previous administration."[1]

On 9 February 2020, Nayib Bukele and René Merino Monroy had 1,400 soldiers occupy the Legislative Assembly building to pressure politicians into approving a 109 million dollar loan from the United States to go into funding Bukele's "Territorial Control Plan." The event was called a self coup attempt by the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). He was summoned to the Legislative Assembly on 21 August 2020 and asked who ordered the military to the Legislative Assembly, but Merino Monroy refused to answer.[8][9]

When murder rates rose in the country in April 2020, Merino Monroy credited the rise to the release of one prisoner who was a gang member.[10] He went on to defend Bukele's order to use lethal force if necessary stating that the measure will protect Salvadoran lives.[10]

Critics from ARENA and FMLN accuse him of being more loyal to the President than the Constitution.[11]

Awards and decorations

 El Salvador

  • Military Campaign Medal[12]
  • Gold Medal of Merit (x2)[12]
  • Minerva Medal[12]
  • Mare Nostrum Medal[12]
  • Medal of Honor to Naval Merit[12]
  • Medal of Honor[12]

See also

References
  1. Marroquín, David (2 January 2020). ""No me lo receté yo, me lo ordenaron". Ministro Merino Monroy defiende su ascenso a Contra Almirante de la Fuerza Naval" ["I did not prescribe it, they ordered it." Minister Merino Monroy defends his promotion to Contra Admiral of the Naval Force] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: El Salvador.com. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  2. Alas, Liseth (1 June 2019). "Estos son los funcionarios que integrarán el gabinete de Nayib Bukele" [These are the officials that will make up Nayib Bukele's cabinet] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: El Salvador.com (published 1 June 2020). p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  3. "Bukele nombra nuevo ministro de Defensa y acaba la era Munguía Payés" [Bukele appoints new Defense Minister and the Munguía Payés era ends] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: El Mundo (published 1 June 2020). 1 June 2019. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  4. Bernal, David (1 June 2019). "Un coronel de la Fuerza Naval dirigirá por primera vez el Ministerio de Defensa" [A colonel from the Naval Force will lead the Ministry of Defense for the first time] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: La Prensa Grafica. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  5. Marroquín, David (11 June 2019). "Ministro de Defensa dice que hay que hacer un cambio de estrategia en el combate a las pandillas" [Defense Minister says a change in strategy must be made in the fight against gangs] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: El Salvador.com. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. "René Francis Merino Monroy es ascendido a Contra Almirante" [René Francis Merino Monroy is promoted to Contra Admiral] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: La Página (published 31 December 2020). 31 December 2019. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  7. García, Enrique (2 January 2020). "Ministro Merino ascendido a contra almirante" [Minister Merino promoted to against admiral] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: El Mundo. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  8. Velásquez, Eugenia (21 August 2020). "FINALIZA: Ministro de Defensa se rehúsó revelar quién le ordenó militarizar la Asamblea el 9 de febrero" [ENDS: Minister of Defense refused to reveal who ordered him to militarize the Assembly on 9 February] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: El Salvador.com. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  9. Avelar, Ricardo (22 August 2020). "5 momentos clave de la interpelación del ministro de Defensa, Merino Monroy" [5 key moments in the interpellation of the Minister of Defense, Merino Monroy] (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: El Salvador.com. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  10. "Ministro de Defensa: Alza de asesinatos es por liberación de un miembro de pandilla" [Defense Minister: Rise in murders is due to the release of a gang member] (in Spanish). Verdad Digital. 29 April 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  11. "Lawyers warn that Merino Monroy shows more "loyalty" to the president than to the Constitution - News from El Salvador". World Today News. 24 August 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  12. "01.- Contralmirante René Francis Merino Monroy (Vigente)". Transparencia. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.