D'Aubusson, Roberto Jose

Born in the family of Roberto d'Aubusson , at that time an officer of the National Guard . Despite the political role of his father, the leader of the far-right forces of El Salvador, the organizer of the death squad , the founder of the Nationalist Republican Alliance ( ARENA ) party, an active participant in the civil war , d'Aubusson Jr. describes his childhood as “calm” ^[1] . He graduated from Catholic College, then the Department of Agriculture of the University, Dr. Jose Mathias Delgado . He received the specialty of agricultural engineer ^[2] .

From the age of 19 he was engaged in commerce. He founded a meat products store, which subsequently developed into a hamburger sales network. Raised professional qualifications in Israel and Taiwan . He was fond of cycling and horse riding, played football and squash. He did not take part in the civil war; he had no relation to the death squads ^[1] .

Roberto Jose d'Aubusson Jr. was a member of the youth organization ARENA. In 1986 - 1988 he headed the structure in San Salvador , then until 1999 - a nationwide youth organization.

In 1991, Roberto José d'Aubusson was elected to the Municipal Council of San Salvador. In the mid-1990s, he was a member of the Presidential Commission on Social Development and was an adviser to the Ministry of Transport. From 2003 to 2015 - Member of the Representative Body of the La Libertad Department . In 2012 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador . He specialized in issues of economics, agriculture and youth policy ^[2] . At the invitation of George W. Bush, he was an honored guest of Texas .

In the 2015 municipal elections, Roberto José d'Aubusson was elected alcald (mayor) of his hometown of Santa Tecla . At the head of the city administration, he intensively developed the system of social services, healthcare, sports and tourism. Ecological and safety topics were at the forefront. He strictly regulated the rules of trade, which caused dissatisfaction of small merchants and individual producers ^[3] .

In the 2018 election, d'Aubusson achieved re-election, significantly ahead of the candidate FNOFM ^[4] . Alcald d'Aubusson considers the objectives of his second term to achieve a balanced budget, modernize the waste management system, renovate the housing stock, create new recreational areas, and develop trade infrastructure correlated with transport routes. Particularly posed are issues of law and order: an additional installation of several hundred surveillance cameras is proposed ^[5] . The administration of d'Aubusson nominated Santa Thecla for the Central American Games 2021 ^[6] .

In the ARENA party, Roberto d'Aubusson Jr. is positioned as a successor to the political tradition of his father. Emphasizes commitment to the principle of Primero El Salvador, segundo El Salvador, tercero El Salvador! - Salvador - firstly, secondly and thirdly! - formulated by d'Aubusson Sr. when creating the party ^[7] . Adheres to the right anti - communist attitudes.

At the same time, he advocates the modernization of ARENA as a “modern conservative party.” In the speeches of d'Aubusson Jr. there is a clear desire to distance oneself from the historical image of the "party of death squads." In May 2015, he appeared at the beatification ceremony of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero , who was killed by ultra-right militants in 1980 (by order of Major d'Aubusson). The appearance of d'Aubusson Jr. aroused the indignation of the crowd, he heard demands for an apology and insulting shouts. However, he showed firmness and composure: he expressed grief and respect for the late Romero, called his image the property of all Salvadorans and spoke out for national reconciliation. At the same time, d'Aubusson Jr. stated that his father was not related to the death of the archbishop. Commentators regarded his actions in the midst of a hostile crowd as the behavior of a brave man ^[8] .

The duality of position was expressed in the intra-party conflict around the party anthem. Roberto José d'Aubusson proposed changing the text: instead of “Salvador - the tomb of the Reds” write “Salvador - the land of a prosperous people.” He substantiated his proposal with cardinal changes in the country: the civil war was long gone. In his opinion, Major d'Aubusson would certainly agree with this ^[9] . The party reacted coolly to such an idea ^[10] . As a result, official status was simultaneously given to both the traditional march and the new anthem, reflecting the concept of d'Aubusson Jr.

Roberto José d'Aubusson is married and has three children. His wife Jacqueline d'Aubusson is a well-known entrepreneur. Her private company participates in the social programs of the Santa Tecla administration - it provides a social package for schools ^[11] .

Mario Lopez Blanco, the brother of Roberto José d'Aubusson's wife, was an ARENA activist and committed suicide for an unknown reason in March 2016 ^[12] .

Eduardo d'Aubusson - the younger brother of Roberto Jose d'Aubusson - a member of the Central American Parliament from the ARENA party, was killed in Guatemala in 2007 under unclear circumstances (according to the investigation, the murder was organized by the drug mafia) ^[13] .

The sisters of Roberto d'Aubusson - Sylvia and Carolina - are known as social activists. The death of their mother Yolanda - the first wife of Major d'Aubusson - in May 2015 ^[14] was noted at the official level ^[15] .

• Mauricio Internano
• Rodrigo Avila
• Carlos Calleja