The official has been reported to the Prosecutor’s Office for the death of a colonel in Mali. The Legislature has recommended dismissing him.
The Minister of Defense, René Francis Merino Monroy, was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral, the highest rank in the Naval Force of El Salvador.
The ascent was consigned in General Order no. 12/020 of the previous 31 December, Of which The Newspaper of Today obtained a copy.
Along with Merino Monroy, Carlos Alberto Tejada Murcia, head of the Joint General Staff of the Armed Forces, was also promoted to the rank of Major General (the highest in the Army), according to the document.
Tour of Apopa
At the end of order 14/020 it is indicated that the appointments of such document would come into force from 1 January 2021.
However, Merino Monroy hung the insignia of Vice Admiral since December 31, when the General Order was signed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Nayib Bukele, and he as Minister of National Defense, still with the degree of rear admiral.
In several tweets posted on the night of December 31 to the Press Secretariat of the Presidency, Merino Monroy appeared walking through the streets of the municipality of Apopa. In his cap already appeared the palm and three stars.
Merino Monroy was promoted to Rear Admiral on December 31, 2019, a promotion that was questioned by military leaders because he was allegedly no longer in an active position as the Military Career Act states that upon fulfilling the 55 years with the rank of colonel, automatically pass to the reserve situation.
In addition, the Ascension Court was reformed, replacing one of its members with another that could support the promotion of the then ship’s captain, in violation of the Military Career Act and a resolution of the Chamber of Constitutional, stated military lawyers consulted.
Complaints and dismissal recommendation
Merino Monroy’s career as defense minister has been questioned, which is pointed out by military leaders who criticize the official’s rise.
Merino Monroy has been reported to the Attorney General’s Office for the death of a lieutenant colonel, a pilot, in the contingent of Salvadoran troops stationed in Mali.
In addition, last September, the Legislative Assembly recommended that he be dismissed after being questioned for his role in the taking of the Legislative Assembly on February 9, 2020, an act that has been described nationally and internationally as a coup, for which police and military forces burst into the Blue Hall of the legislative palace.
In this regard, the President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele usurped the functions of President of the Legislature to pressure MPs to approve a loan of $ 9 million that allegedly would be allocated to the Territorial Control Plan that the his government develops.
The Territorial Control Plan has been promoted by the executive body as the strategy that has allowed homicides to decrease, however, the digital newspaper El Far published a few months ago evidence that the Bukele government has agreed to a truce with groups of colles.
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