The United States government on Monday handed over to the authorities of El Salvador the former president of the National Assembly and presidential candidate of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA, right), Norman Quijano, who in 2024 was sentenced to 13 years in prison for negotiating 'electoral benefits' with gangs, the Attorney General's Office of the Republic (FGR) reported. 'Today, we have received Norman Quijano from the authorities of the United States. At this moment, he will be formally notified of his conviction for the crimes of illicit associations and electoral fraud,' the Prosecutor's Office posted on X. Without specifying whether it is an extradition or deportation process, the investigating entity indicated that 'Quijano will be transferred to a penitentiary center, where he will serve the sentence imposed by Salvadoran justice.' Quijano was tried in absentia, and during the process, according to the FGR, 'documentary, expert and testimonial evidence, as well as audios and videos, were presented that demonstrated direct meetings with gang leaders and negotiations in exchange for votes, including meetings prior to the second round of the 2014 presidential elections.' During the trial, the Prosecutor's Office stated that Quijano made a payment of $50,000 and two payments of $25,000 to the three main gangs, although he did not win the 2014 presidential election and finished below the leftist Salvador Sánchez Cerén. The sentence was issued by the Second Chamber of Criminal Court of San Salvador, which also disqualified Quijano from holding the position of deputy of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), from which the Salvadoran Congress withdrew his constitutional immunity.
