Rafael Aguirre launches FMLN pre‑presidential bid in El Salvador

Doctor Rafael Aguirre, secretary‑general of the Salvadoran doctors’ union SIMETRISS, formally registered as the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) pre‑candidate for the 2027 presidential election. He said he is running as a citizen, not a party affiliate, and pledged to build a national project with sectors such as agriculture, education, health and students. The FMLN’s internal primary is scheduled for 26 July, when members will select the final candidates.

The National Union for the Defense of the Working Class (UNT) issued a statement distancing itself from Aguirre’s candidacy, emphasizing that it will not endorse or participate in his political project. The union warned that El Salvador lacks sufficient democratic guarantees for a free electoral competition and urged the labor movement to focus on rebuilding unions and popular organizations instead of electoral politics. FMLN secretary‑general Manuel Flores, who was ill, expressed support for Aguirre via a phone call.