# Minister of National Defense (El Salvador)

The Minister of National Defense of El Salvador (Spanish: Ministro de Defensa Nacional de El Salvador) is a Salvadoran cabinet minister who serves as the head of the Ministry of National Defense of El Salvador. The position of Minister of National Defense is typically held by an officer of the Armed Forces of El Salvador.

## List of ministers

The following table lists all the individuals who held the office of Minister of National Defense.
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Branch/political party | President(s) | President(s) | President(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Branch/political party | President(s) | President(s) | President(s) |
| 1 | | Cruz Ulloa (?–?) | 29 March 1856 | 30 April 1856 | 32 days | Conservative | | Rafael Campo |
| Office vacant (30 April 1856 – 1 February 1858) |||||||||
| 2 | | Ignacio Gómez (?–?) | 1 February 1858 | 24 February 1858 | 23 days | Conservative | | Miguel Santín del Castillo |
| 3 | | Cayetano Bosque (?–?) | 24 February 1858 | 21 November 1858 | 270 days | Conservative | | Miguel Santín del Castillo |
| 4 | | General José Trinidad Cabañas (1805–1871) | 26 November 1858 | 5 February 1859 | 76 days | Liberal/Army | | Miguel Santín del Castillo |
| Office vacant (5 February 1859 – 20 December 1859) |||||||||
| 5 | | José Félix Quirós (1811–1883) | 20 December 1859 | 6 June 1860 | 1 year, 122 days | Independent | | Gerardo Barrios |
| Office vacant (6 June 1860 – 5 March 1861) |||||||||
| 6 | | Eugenio Aguilar (1804–1879) | 5 March 1861 | 24 March 1863 | 2 years, 19 days | Liberal | | Gerardo Barrios |
| Office vacant (24 March 1863 – 27 October 1863) |||||||||
| 7 | | Juan Delgado y San Juan (?–?) | 27 October 1863 | 2 February 1865 | 1 year, 98 days | Conservative | | Francisco Dueñas |
| Office vacant (2 February 1865 – 1 February 1871) |||||||||
| 8 | | Rafael Zaldívar (1834–1903) | 1 February 1871 | 12 April 1871 | 70 days | Liberal | | Francisco Dueñas |
| Office vacant (12 April 1871 – 2 January 1877) |||||||||
| 9 | | General Fabio Morán (?–?) | 2 January 1877 | 30 November 1877 | 332 days | Army | | Rafael Zaldívar |
| Office vacant (30 November 1877 – 1 January 1884) |||||||||
| 10 | | General Adán Mora (?–?) | 1 January 1884 | 14 May 1885 | 1 year, 133 days | Army | | Rafael Zaldívar |
| Office vacant (14 May 1885 – 2 June 1887) |||||||||
| 11 | | General Carlos Ezeta (1852–1903) | 2 June 1887 | 15 August 1888 | 261 days | Liberal/Army | | Francisco Menéndez |
| 12 | | General Pedro José Escalón (1847–1923) | 18 August 1888 | 20 October 1889 | 1 year, 140 days | Conservative/Army | | Francisco Menéndez |
| Office vacant (20 October 1889 – 1 January 1891) |||||||||
| 13 | | General Antonio Ezeta (?–?) | 1 January 1891 | 31 March 1891 | 89 days | Liberal/Army | | Carlos Ezeta |
| 14 | | General Valentín Amaya (?–?) | 31 March 1891 | 23 January 1892 | 298 days | Army | | Carlos Ezeta |
| 15 | | Domingo Angulo (?–?) | 24 January 1892 | 14 November 1892 | 295 days | Liberal | | Carlos Ezeta |
| 14 | | General Valentín Amaya (?–?) | 1 January 1893 | 10 June 1894 | 1 year, 160 days | Army | | Carlos Ezeta |
| Office vacant (10 June 1894 – 4 March 1897) |||||||||
| 16 | | Juan Francisco Castro (?–?) | 4 March 1897 | 27 September 1897 | 207 days | Liberal | | Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez |
| 17 | | Rafael Severo López (?–?) | 28 September 1897 | 13 November 1898 | 1 year, 47 days | Liberal | | Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez |
| 18 | | General Tomás Regalado Romero (1861–1906) | 14 November 1898 | 12 September 1900 | 1 year, 302 days | Army/Liberal | | Himself |
| Office vacant (12 September 1900 – 7 January 1901) |||||||||
| 18 | | General Tomás Regalado Romero (1861–1906) | 7 January 1901 | 1 March 1903 | 2 years, 53 days | Army/Liberal | | Himself |
| 19 | | General Fernando Figueroa (1849–1919) | 1 March 1903 | 10 September 1907 | 4 years, 193 days | Army/Liberal | | Pedro José Escalón |
| 19 | | General Fernando Figueroa (1849–1919) | 1 March 1903 | 10 September 1907 | 4 years, 193 days | Army/Liberal | | Himself |
| Office vacant (10 September 1907 – 1 March 1911) |||||||||
| 20 | | Brigadier General José María Peralta Lagos (1873–1944) | 1 March 1911 | 14 February 1913 | 1 year, 350 days | Army | | Manuel Enrique Araujo |
| 21 | | Francisco Martínez Suárez (?–?) | 14 February 1913 | 8 July 1913 | 144 days | Liberal | | Carlos Meléndez |
| 22 | | Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950) | 8 July 1913 | 29 August 1914 | 1 year, 52 days | Liberal | | Carlos Meléndez |
| 23 | | Pío Romero Bosque (1860–1935) | 29 August 1914 | 1 March 1915 | 184 days | Liberal | | Alfonso Quiñónez Molina |
| 24 | | Brigadier General Luis Alonso Barahona (1867–1915) | 1 March 1915 | 20 October 1915 | 233 days | Army | | Carlos Meléndez |
| 25 | | Enrique Córdova (?–?) | 20 October 1915 | 1 March 1919 | 3 years, 132 days | Liberal | | Carlos Meléndez |
| 23 | | Pío Romero Bosque (1860–1935) | 1 March 1919 | 1 March 1927 | 8 years, 0 days | National Democratic Party | | Jorge Meléndez |
| 23 | | Pío Romero Bosque (1860–1935) | 1 March 1919 | 1 March 1927 | 8 years, 0 days | National Democratic Party | | Alfonso Quiñónez Molina |
| 26 | | Alberto Gómez Zárate (?–?) | 1 March 1927 | 19 May 1930 | 3 years, 79 days | National Democratic Party | | Pío Romero Bosque |
| 27 | | Pío Romero Bosque Molina (?–?) | 20 May 1930 | 1 March 1931 | 285 days | National Democratic Party | | Pío Romero Bosque |
| 28 | | Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (1882–1966) | 1 March 1931 | 1 December 1931 | 275 days | Army/National Republican Party | | Arturo Araujo |
| 29 | | Colonel Salvador López Rochac (?–?) | 1 December 1931 | 2 December 1931 | 1 day | Salvadoran Laborist Party | | Arturo Araujo |
| – | | Colonel Osmín Aguirre y Salinas (1889–1977) (Acting) | 2 December 1931 | 4 December 1931 | 2 days | Army | | Civic Directory |
| – | | Colonel Joaquín Valdés (1906–1957) Acting) | 4 December 1931 | 2 April 1934 | 2 years, 122 days | Army | | Maximiliano Hernández Martínez |
| – | | Brigadier General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1879–1962) Acting) | 3 April 1934 | 28 August 1934 | 148 days | Army/National Pro Patria Party | | Maximiliano Hernández Martínez |
| – | | Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (1882–1966) Acting) | 28 August 1934 | 1 March 1935 | 185 days | Army/National Pro Patria Party | | Andrés Ignacio Menéndez |
| 30 | | Brigadier General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1879–1962) | 1 March 1935 | 9 May 1944 | 9 years, 69 days | Army/National Pro Patria Party | | Maximiliano Hernández Martínez |
| – | | Brigadier General Fidel Cristino Garay (?–?) | 9 May 1944 | 20 October 1944 | 164 days | Army/National Pro Patria Party | | Andrés Ignacio Menéndez |
| – | | Colonel Salvador Peña Trejo (?–?) | 21 October 1944 | 1 March 1945 | 131 days | Army | | Osmín Aguirre y Salinas |
| 31 | | Brigadier General Salvador Castaneda Castro (1888–1965) | 1 March 1945 | 31 March 1945 | 30 days | Army/Unification Social Democratic Party | | Himself |
| 31 | | Brigadier General Mauro Espínola Castro (?–?) | 31 March 1945 | 14 December 1948 | 3 years, 258 days | Army | | Salvador Castaneda Castro |
| – | | Lieutenant Colonel Fidel Rodríguez Quintanilla (?–?) Acting | 14 December 1948 | 14 September 1950 | 1 year, 274 days | Army | | Revolutionary Council of Government [es] |
| 32 | | Major Óscar Adán Bolaños (?–?) | 14 September 1950 | 10 December 1953 | 3 years, 87 days | Army | | Óscar Osorio |
| 33 | | Colonel Marco Antonio Molina (?–?) | 10 December 1953 | 14 September 1956 | 2 years, 279 days | Army | | Óscar Osorio |
| 34 | | Colonel Adán Parada (?–?) | 14 September 1956 | 20 October 1960 | 4 years, 36 days | Army | | José María Lemus |
| – | | Lieutenant Colonel Alonso Castillo Navarrete (?–?) Acting | 20 October 1960 | 25 January 1961 | 97 days | Army | | Junta of Government |
| – | | Lieutenant Colonel Armando Molina Mena (?–?) Acting | 26 January 1961 | 9 May 1961 | 104 days | Army | | Civic-Military Directory |
| – | | Major Óscar Rodríguez Simó (?–?) Acting | 9 May 1961 | 18 November 1961 | 193 days | Army | | Civic-Military Directory |
| – | | Major Mariano Castro Morán (?–?) Acting | 18 November 1961 | 24 January 1962 | 67 days | Army | | Civic-Military Directory |
| – | | Divisional General Armando Díaz Liévano (?–?) Acting | 24 January 1962 | 1 July 1962 | 158 days | Army | | Civic-Military Directory |
| – | | Divisional General Armando Díaz Liévano (?–?) Acting | 24 January 1962 | 1 July 1962 | 158 days | Army | | Eusebio Rodolfo Cordón Cea |
| 35 | | Colonel Marco Aurelio Zacapa (?–?) | 1 July 1962 | 1 July 1967 | 5 years, 0 days | Army/National Conciliation Party | | Julio Adalberto Rivera Carballo |
| 36 | | Colonel Fidel Torres (?–?) | 1 July 1967 | 1 July 1972 | 5 years, 0 days | Army/National Conciliation Party | | Fidel Sánchez Hernández |
| 37 | | Brigadier General Carlos Humberto Romero (1924–2017) | 1 July 1972 | 1 July 1977 | 5 years, 0 days | Army/National Conciliation Party | | Arturo Armando Molina |
| 38 | | Brigadier General Federico Castillo Yanes (?–2013) | 1 July 1977 | 15 October 1979 | 2 years, 106 days | Army/National Conciliation Party | | Carlos Humberto Romero |
| – | | Brigadier General José Guillermo García (born 1933) Acting | 15 October 1979 | 19 April 1983 | 3 years, 186 days | Army | | Revolutionary Government Junta |
| – | | Brigadier General José Guillermo García (born 1933) Acting | 15 October 1979 | 19 April 1983 | 3 years, 186 days | Army | | Álvaro Magaña |
| 39 | | Brigadier General Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova (1937–2023) | 19 April 1983 | 1 June 1989 | 6 years, 43 days | Army | | Álvaro Magaña |
| 39 | | Brigadier General Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova (1937–2023) | 19 April 1983 | 1 June 1989 | 6 years, 43 days | Army | | José Napoleón Duarte |
| 40 | | Brigadier General Rafael Humberto Larios López (born 1937) | 1 June 1989 | 31 August 1990 | 1 year, 91 days | Army |
| 40 | | Brigadier General Rafael Humberto Larios López (born 1937) | 1 June 1989 | 31 August 1990 | 1 year, 91 days | Army | | Alfredo Cristiani |
| 41 | | Divisional General René Emilio Ponce (1947–2011) | 31 August 1990 | 1 July 1993 | 2 years, 304 days | Army | | Alfredo Cristiani |
| 42 | | Divisional General Humberto Corado Figueroa (born 1948) | 1 July 1993 | 31 December 1995 | 2 years, 183 days | Army | | Alfredo Cristiani |
| 42 | | Divisional General Humberto Corado Figueroa (born 1948) | 1 July 1993 | 31 December 1995 | 2 years, 183 days | Army | | Armando Calderón Sol |
| 43 | | Divisional General Jaime Mauricio Guzmán Morales (born ?) | 31 December 1995 | 31 December 1998 | 3 years, 0 days | Army | | Armando Calderón Sol |
| 44 | | General of Aviation Juan Antonio Martínez Várela (born ?) | 31 December 1998 | 1 June 2004 | 5 years, 153 days | Air Force | | Armando Calderón Sol |
| 44 | | General of Aviation Juan Antonio Martínez Várela (born ?) | 31 December 1998 | 1 June 2004 | 5 years, 153 days | Air Force | | Francisco Flores Pérez |
| 45 | | Divisional General Otto Alejandro Romero Orellana (born 1955) | 1 June 2004 | 31 December 2007 | 3 years, 213 days | Army | | Antonio Saca |
| 46 | | Divisional General Jorge Alberto Molina Contreras (born 1956) | 31 December 2007 | 1 June 2009 | 1 year, 152 days | Army | | Antonio Saca |
| 47 | | Divisional General David Munguía Payés (born ?) | 1 June 2009 | 23 November 2011 | 2 years, 175 days | Army | | Mauricio Funes |
| 48 | | Divisional General José Atilio Benítez Parada (born ?) | 23 November 2011 | 12 July 2013 | 1 year, 231 days | Army | | Mauricio Funes |
| 47 | | Divisional General David Munguía Payés (born ?) | 12 July 2013 | 1 June 2019 | 5 years, 324 days | Army | | Mauricio Funes |
| 47 | | Divisional General David Munguía Payés (born ?) | 12 July 2013 | 1 June 2019 | 5 years, 324 days | Army | | Salvador Sánchez Cerén |
| 49 | | Vice Admiral René Francis Merino Monroy (born 1963) | 1 June 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 285 days | Navy | | Nayib Bukele |