El Salvador’s ex-president Saca reports his release to court
Lawyer Mario Machado says Saca completed his 10-year corruption sentence without early-release benefits, ending his imprisonment under that term.
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El Salvador’s former president Elías Antonio Saca appeared at court in San Salvador on 29 October 2026, to formally report his release from prison. His lawyer, Mario Machado, said Saca had served his 10-year corruption sentence in full without early-release benefits, Al Jazeera said.
Saca, a businessman and radio broadcaster, governed El Salvador from 2004 to 2009 for the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA). He admitted diverting and laundering more than $300 million in public funds during his presidency.
From arrest to release
Saca was arrested on 30 October 2016 during one of his sons’ wedding celebrations in Antiguo Cuscatlán, in an investigation into presidential public funds. On 13 September 2018, the Second Sentencing Court of San Salvador sentenced him to 5 years for embezzlement and another 5 years for money laundering.
His plea bargain allowed him to avoid a potential 30-year prison sentence. During the original trial, prosecutors said Saca had appropriated state money for himself and others, including more than $7 million for ARENA.
In September 2019, Saca received a separate 2-year sentence after admitting paying $10,000 to a court employee for information about a civil case concerning his assets. Judicial authorities counted that sentence as served through pretrial detention, so it did not extend his imprisonment. His release order took effect on 27 October 2026.
Repayment and asset recovery
Saca was also ordered to repay $260 million to the state. El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office said completing a prison sentence and satisfying financial obligations are separate matters, in an October 28 report by elsalvador.com. Whether the ordered sums have been paid is for the competent courts to determine.
In March 2026, prosecutors announced a ruling ordering assets linked to Saca’s corruption case, valued at approximately $9.6 million, into state ownership. The definitive transfer would occur once the judgment became final.
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