According to the head of the Treasury, Alejandro Zelaya, the 262 municipalities were allocated US$191.7 million in 2020, funds that were fully delivered.

The minister reported that the audits detected that the municipalities spent around US$80 million in expenses not related to the COVID-19 emergency.

Likewise, the Director of Governmental Accounting, Joaquín Montano, states that 33% of the funds with irregularities are focused in the municipalities of the central zone of the country, with emphasis in the department of San Salvador.

In addition, the head of Accounting states that another 32% is focused on the municipalities in the eastern part of the country. Here the findings in the departments of San Miguel and La Unión stand out.

"Another 20% of this US$84 million is distributed in the western part of the country; this represents some US$19 million. And finally, in the paracentral zone it is 15%", said the director of Government Accounting, Montano.

On US$4 million, the auditors found only checks without any documentation to support the expenditure.

These US$84 million, out of the total of US$191 million, should be investigated by the Fiscalía General de la República and the Corte de Cuentas. Initially, 65 mayors' offices were submitted and now 186 cases of mayors' offices with alleged misuse of public funds have been referred.

Translated by: A.M