El Salvador - Ministry of Defense

The Salvadoran Armed Forces (ESAF) are capable, professional, and subordinate to civilian authority. The military consistently receives high approval ratings in public opinion polls, due largely to its response to national disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as dengue. Salvadoran soldiers also support police in counter-narcotics efforts, anti-gang patrols, rural patrols, customs inspections, and reform-school training for juvenile convicts.

The Ministry of national defense is composed of the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the named administrative and Department Headquarters with their junior staff. They advise directly this secretariat of State, the meeting of Heads of State greater and others entities that precise in its mission, such as special staffs.

The fundamental mission of the Minister of national defence, is to advise the President of the Republic and Commander General of the armed forces, with regard to the policy of national defense. He will serve as the top address of the Secretariat of State, and is the conduit of communication of all orders and provisions emanating from the General Headquarters to the different steps control of the armed forces, through the armed forces.

The Minister of national defence's duties are as follows:

• endorse and communicate the general orders, decrees, agreements, arrangements and orders of the President of the Republic, concerning the Secretary in charge;
• attend the Legislative Assembly to answer questions;
• present to the organ legislative the report of needlework in the bouquet of the defence national, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic;
• propose the draft budget of the branch of the national defense;
• propose the draft legislation related to the branch of the national defense;
• represent before the Executive point of view and interests of the armed forces, the discussion and analysis of the national problems in what refers to its function constitutional, and before the legislative body, where necessary;
• to promote by all means the administrative and operational efficiency of the Navy;
• to ensure the improvement of the economic and social situation of the personnel of the Navy, submitting for consideration by the President of the Republic, the blueprints Laws and regulations that may be needed;
• oversee the acts and decisions of the authorities of the armed forces, to these conform to the provisions of constitutional, legal, regulatory, and doctrinal in effect, as well as to the policy of national defense made by the Chairman of the Republic;
• propose to the President of the Republic and General Commander of the armed forces the promotions, appointments, removals, destinations and acceptances of resignations and concessions of licenses to members of the armed forces, according to proposal the head of the State greater set of the armed forces;
• form part of the National Security Council; and,
• attend the meetings of the Council of Ministers.