Claudia Ortiz announces the Avancemos movement and confirms a VAMOS candidacy
Summary
Lawmaker Claudia Ortiz announced the creation of "Avancemos," a political movement of VAMOS members formed after differences in the party's internal process to elect leaders, and confirmed she will run for a San Salvador Assembly seat under the VAMOS banner, Diario La Página and Infobae reported. According to Infobae, Ortiz said on Punto 105 FM's Corre Corre: "Su servidora va a participar como candidata a diputada por el departamento San Salvador, por el partido VAMOS" (our translation). La Página and Infobae agree the party leadership process was suspended and that Ortiz describes Avancemos as "a political movement that participates in a political party" (our translation), also aiming to convene people who do not belong to parties. Ortiz, cited by Infobae, said she agrees with VAMOS's ideology and keeps her membership.
Sources
More coverage
Related
Ulloa: Bukele "can continue two, three more terms" and the emergency regime will end "when the people want"
Vice President Félix Ulloa defended indefinite presidential reelection in Madrid in interviews with Spanish news agencies. "The president is young, so the president can continue two, three more terms, as long as the people keep electing him," he told EFE, according to elsalvador.com and Infobae (our translation). According to elsalvador.com, Ulloa also said he is willing to run again as Bukele's vice-presidential candidate in 2027 and that it would be his last election. On the emergency regime, in force since March 2022, Infobae reports that Ulloa acknowledged its causes "have not been overcome yet" (our translation) and set no date to lift it; in an interview with Europa Press, cited by Demócrata, he said it will end "when the people want" (our translation).
Nuevas Ideas registers its 2027 deputy candidates with the TSE
The Nuevas Ideas party formally registered its deputy candidates for the 2027 elections with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Friday. According to Diario La Página, party president Xavi Zablah said "Nuevas Ideas deputies approve everything that comes from the president" (our translation) and set a goal of "60 of 60" seats. El Nuevo Diario (EFE) agrees on the TSE registration and quotes Zablah on X: "Today we officially registered our 60 Nuevas Ideas deputy candidates" (our translation). EFE's report says the party currently holds 57 of 60 seats.
Investigation: CEL awarded 23 contracts worth $218.5 million at El Chaparral under secrecy
Gato Encerrado and Revista Factum publish a joint investigation of the El Chaparral hydroelectric plant (renamed Central 3 de Febrero). According to the report, between June 2019 and mid-2023 CEL awarded 23 contracts worth $218.5 million to finish the dam, bridges and access roads after declaring the project "urgent" on April 14, 2020, which allowed direct awards. Secrecy over the file, in force since 2014, was extended in 2021 through January 20, 2028. The report contrasts bridge lighting (more than $2.5 million, per CEL's 2024-2025 annual report) with 370 of 5,272 households in San Antonio, Carolina and San Luis de la Reina still without formal electricity, according to the 2024 census. Figures and findings are from the journalistic investigation.
Félix Ulloa represents El Salvador at the 30th Ibero-American Summit in Madrid
Vice President Félix Ulloa arrived in Madrid to represent President Nayib Bukele at the 30th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, which brings together representatives of 22 countries, Diario La Página and Contrapunto reported. According to La Página, on arriving at Madrid's Teatro Real Ulloa greeted Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia and took part in the opening ceremony led by the monarchs, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Ibero-American Secretary-General Andrés Allamand also present. The summit's motto is "Together we build our Community. Together we project it toward the future and toward the world" (our translation). Contrapunto says Ulloa is attending, according to official information, to keep the country present in regional and international dialogue and cooperation forums.
Salvadoran Sonia Vásquez Luna wins a seat in Virginia's House of Delegates
Salvadoran Sonia Vásquez Luna won a seat in Virginia's House of Delegates on Tuesday, November 3, in a special election in the 20th District, Contrapunto and elsalvador.com reported. According to elsalvador.com, the Democratic candidate won about 70% of the vote against Republican Nathaniel Fritzen, with preliminary results still pending certification. Vásquez Luna emigrated from El Salvador to the United States in 2001 at age 19, and in 2022 became the first Latina woman elected to the Manassas City Council. She will finish the term left vacant by Michelle Maldonado, through January 2028, according to elsalvador.com. Contrapunto describes her as the first woman of Salvadoran and Central American origin to serve as a delegate in that state legislature.