Panama Sandoval, David Ernesto

Born in the US state of Michigan , where his parents lived in the early 1950s. David Ernesto's father owned a coffee farm in the department of Santa Ana ^[1] . Among relatives was the leader of the far-right forces of Guatemala, Mario Sandoval Alarcon .

Panama Sandoval has graduated from high school and the Catholic Lyceum in the Salvadoran city ​​of Santa Ana . Then he graduated from the Central American University , acquired the specialty of a marketer ^[2] . In 2007 received a diploma from the University of Salamanca as a specialist in publishing.

Until the age of 18 he had US citizenship. In 1968, David Ernesto Panama Sandoval tried to enlist in the US Army to participate in the Vietnam War against communism. Frightened by this prospect, the parents forced their son to renounce American citizenship. Then David Ernesto entered the Salvador Military School, but was expelled six months later. In 1969 he participated in the Football War ^[3] .

David Ernesto Panama Sandoval adhered to extreme right - wing anti - communist views. Even in his student years, he joined the conservative groups, opposed left propaganda, even when it came from the Jesuits . As a representative of the landowning class, he was an opponent of agrarian reform projects ^[3] .

In May 1979, Panama Sandoval, as part of a group of young entrepreneurs and lawyers led by Alfredo Mena Lagos, created the neo-fascist organization Salvador Nationalist Movement ( MNS ) ^[4] . Among the members of the MNS was Armando Calderon Sol , the future president of El Salvador . Panama Sandoval in MNS for propaganda among the masses.

On October 15, 1979 , a coup d'etat took place in El Salvador, and a revolutionary government junta came to power. The civil war began . MNS members sided with far-right forces against the Marxist guerrillas of the FNOFM and the reformist ruling junta. They made contact with Roberto d'Aubusson and joined his death squad system. Panama Sandoval was organizing the operational interaction of civilian militants with the National Guard intelligence agency. American experts called Panama Sandoval “an armed businessman” and noted in his work “an effective killing machine” ^[5] .

David Ernesto Panama Sandoval was actively involved in 1980 in the creation of the National Wide Front ( FAN ) - the first political organization of the El Salvador ultra-right. September 30, 1981 he was one of the 35 founders of the Nationalist Republican Alliance ( ARENA ) ^[6] . He continued to engage in advocacy and operational coordination. Throughout the war, Panama Sandoval was close to Major d'Aubusson. ^[7]

The Salvadoran Civil War ended in 1992 . A peace agreement was concluded between the government, which by then controlled ARENA and the FNFM. Roberto d'Aubusson soon died. Panama Sandoval spent the 1990s in the diplomatic service. He held an important post for the Salvadoran foreign policy as ambassador to the Republic of China ( Taiwan ) ^[8] . He was also an ambassador to Paraguay . He met with President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian , President of Paraguay Andres Rodriguez , King of Spain Juan Carlos I.

In the 2000s, David Ernesto Panama Sandoval advocated a profound reform of ARENA ^[3] , the reconfiguration of the party from the tasks of the Cold War period to the tasks of modernizing the era of globalism. Advocated these ideas at the Roberto d'Aubusson Party Institute . However, Panama Sandoval did not receive support in these endeavors. The situation after the 2009 elections, in which the FNOFM won, was especially tense. Panama Sandoval called for cooperation with the new government (for example, in the fight against organized crime), and from a nationalist perspective criticized the pro-American course. These speeches did not meet with understanding in the party, as well as proposals to change the old symbolism ^[9] .

In 2013, Panama Sandoval announced serious disagreements with management and suspended his activities at AFRENA. Moreover, he recalled his membership from the day of its foundation and made it clear how indifferent he was to the fate of the party ^[10] .

During the ARENA party primaries in April 2018, David Ernesto Panama Sandoval expressed his support for Javier Siman , who represents a powerful conservative business clan. The victory was won by Carlos Calleja , a member of another entrepreneurial family. Panama Sandoval called the choice made “the coming end” of the party and “the loss of any chance” ^[11] .

David Ernesto Panama Sandoval is known in the country as a writer ^[12] . He is the author of three novels, four collections of short stories. His artistic plots are usually built on the collision of an eternal human theme: love, friendship, independence, the search for truth - with the turbulent dynamics of modernity, new social challenges, the brutality of organized crime, the soullessness of virtual technology.

The lessons of past years encourage me to write, revealing the truths and leaving behind the legends that I considered to be truths. Leave the world that propaganda is drawing for you, it is too different from the real world that you have to face. The sooner the difference is recognized, the better life becomes.
David Ernesto Panama Sandoval ^[13]

An important place in the work of Panama Sandoval is historical journalism. His work Los guerreros de la libertad - Warriors of Liberty is widely known. The author unfolds his vision of "perhaps the bloodiest period in the history of mankind (1962-1992)." Characteristic is the selection of goodies: Roberto d'Aubusson, Mario Sandoval Alarcon, Alfredo Stroessner , Anastasio Somosa Debeile , Jesse Helms , Alfredo Cristiani , Armando Calderon Sol . They are opposed by Salvador Caetano Carpio , Shafiq Handal , Joaquin Villalobos , Fidel Castro , Jimmy Carter . Particularly shown are such figures as Ronald Reagan , Rodrigo Caraso Odio or Oscar Arnulfo Romero ^[7] .

He works as a general director in a publishing house of his own name. Lives in San Salvador .

Since 1991, David Ernesto Panama Sandoval has been married a second time. From his first marriage (1970-1991) has two daughters ^[3] .

• Ricardo Valdivieso
• Hector Antonio Regalado