Irma Michelle Martha Ninette Sol Schweikert de Castro (born 20 December 1972), commonly known Michelle Sol, is a Salvadoran politician and businesswoman who currently serves as the minister of housing of El Salvador. She previously served as the mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán from 2015 to 2019, and was a candidate for mayor of La Libertad Este in 2024.
Michelle Sol | |
|---|---|
.png) Sol in 2019 | |
| Minister of Housing | |
| Assumed office 1 June 2019 | |
| President | Nayib Bukele Claudia Rodríguez (acting) |
| Preceded by | Edín Martínez |
| Mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán | |
| In office 1 May 2015 – 1 June 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Nayib Bukele |
| Succeeded by | Roberto Morales |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Irma Michelle Martha Ninette Sol 20 December 1972 Nuevo Cuscatlán, El Salvador |
| Political party | Nuevas Ideas |
| Other political affiliations | FMLN (2012–2019) |
| Spouse | Ernesto Castro |
| Alma mater | José Matías Delgado University |
| Occupation | Politician, businesswoman |
Early life edit
Irma Michelle Martha Ninette Sol Schweikert[1] was born on 20 December 1972 in Nuevo Cuscatlán, El Salvador.[2] Sol is a niece of Ana Ligia Mixco Sol de Saca, the first lady of El Salvador from 2004 to 2009.[3]
Sol studied at the Excellent Municipal Management School in Madrid, Spain, and the Doctor José Matías Delgado University in San Salvador, El Salvador. She received a degree in municipal legislation from the latter.[4] Sol worked as the marketing and public relations director at Tecnutral, a family business.[1]
Political career edit
Mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán edit
During the 2012 municipal elections, Sol was elected as a council member of the municipal council of Nuevo Cuscatlán. As a council member, she held the position of president of the entrepreneurship and job training center.[4] On 10 February 2015, Nayib Bukele, the mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán, left the power to administer Nuevo Cuscatlán to Sol while he ran for mayor of San Salvador during the 2015 municipal elections.[5] At the time, Sol was herself running for mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán as a member of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) in a political coalition with Democratic Change.[6] Her primarily opponent was Gerardo Barón from the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA).[7] Sol won the election with 60.79 percent of the vote.[6] Sol assumed office as mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán on 1 May.[4]
Sol ran for re-election in the 2018 municipal elections with the FMLN in a political coalition with Democratic Change, the Social Democratic Party, and the Salvadoran Progressive Party.[8] Her primary opponent was Nuria Varela from ARENA.[9] Sol won the election, but Varela stated that she would challenge the results for alleged fraud.[9] On 10 March 2018, Attorney General Douglas Meléndez confirmed that there was an investigation into fraud allegations in Nuevo Cuscatlán concerning transferring votes to benefit the FMLN.[10]
Minister of Housing edit
In May 2019, Sol was selected by Bukele, who won the 2019 presidential election, to be his minister of housing.[11] Sol was sworn in on 1 June 2019. She was one of the eight women who composed Bukele's cabinet of sixteen ministers.[12] Sol was the first person to hold the position of minister of housing since Edín Martínez left office in 2014.[1]
2024 municipal campaign edit
In June 2023, Sol announced she was running for mayor of the new municipality of La Libertad Este, which consists of the now-districts of Antiguo Cuscatlán, Nuevo Cuscatlán, Huizúcar, San José Villanueva, and Zaragoza.[13] Sol's primarily opponent is Milagro Navas from ARENA who was the incumbent mayor of Antiguo Cuscatlán.[14] In February 2024, Navas challenged Sol to a debate, but Sol rejected Navas' challenge, stating that debates were "the politics of the past" ("la política de antes").[15] Navas defeated Sol.[16]
Personal life edit
Sol is married to Ernesto Castro, the incumbent president of the Legislative Assembly. The couple owns a food company called Sociedad Castro Sol S.A. de C.V. In 2023, the El Faro digital newspaper revealed that the company received US$504,000 from Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes in 2010 and 2011 to provide services for the Presidential Battalion. El Faro alleged that the payment came from a black budget which Funes supposedly managed.[17]
Electoral history edit
| Year | Office | Type | Party | Main opponent | Party | Votes for Sol | Result | Swing | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | ±% | ||||||||||||
| 2015 | Mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán | General | FMLN–CD | Gerardo Barón | ARENA | 4,116 | 60.79 | 1st | N/A | Won | Hold | [6] | |||
| 2018 | Mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán | General | FMLN–CD–PSD–PSP | Nuria Varela | ARENA | ? | ? | 1st | ? | Won | Hold | [8] | |||
| 2024 | Mayor of La Libertad Este | General | NI | Milagro Navas | ARENA | N/A | Lost | Hold | |||||||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c Arteaga, Ernesto; Calderón, Beatriz (2 June 2019). "Así se Dibuja el Nuevo Gabinete de Gobierno: Estos son los Nuevos Ministros a Cargo de El Salvador" [This is how the New Government Cabinet is Drawn: These are the New Ministers in Charge of El Salvador]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "Michelle Sol 🇸🇻". X. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "Bukele Anuncia a Sobrina de Ana Ligia de Saca como Próxima Ministra de Vivienda" [Bukele Announces a Niece of Ana Ligia de Saca as Next Minister of Housing]. El Liberal (in Spanish). 9 May 2019. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Irma Michelle Martha Ninette Sol de Castro. (Vigente)" [Irma Michelle Martha Ninette Sol de Castro. (Current)]. Government of El Salvador (in Spanish). 17 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "Bukele Entrega Alcaldía de Nuevo Cuscatlán a Concejal Michelle Sol" [Bukele Gives Mayorship of Nuevo Cuscatlán to Councilwoman Michelle Sol]. Diario1 (in Spanish). 10 February 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ a b c "Memoria Especial – Elecciones 2015" [Special Memory – 2015 Elections] (PDF). Supreme Electoral Court (in Spanish). pp. 138 & 294. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "El Candidato para Alcalde de NUCU por ARENA Desmiente Acusaciones de Bukele" [ARENA's Candidate for Mayor of NUCU Denies Bukele's Accusations]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). 20 January 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Memoria Especial – Elecciones 2018" [Special Memory – 2018 Elections] (PDF). Supreme Electoral Court (in Spanish). p. 109. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ a b Saavedra, María José (5 March 2018). "Candidata en Nuevo Cuscatlán por ARENA Dice Impugnará Resultados por Supuesto Fraude" [ARENA's Candidate in Nuevo Cuscatlán Says She Will Challenge Results for Supposed Fraud]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ Chávez, Gerson (10 March 2018). "FGR Investiga Supuesto Traslado de Votos en Nuevo Cuscatlán y Fraude en San Miguel" [FGR Investigates Supposed Transfer of Votes in Nuevo Cuscatlán and Fraud in San Miguel]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ Jurado, V. (9 May 2019). "Michelle Sol será la ministra de Vivienda en el gabinete de Nayib Bukele" [Michelle Sol Will be the Minister of Housing in the Cabinet of Nayib Bukele]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ Alas, Liseth (1 June 2019). "Estos son los funcionarios que integrarán el gabinete de Nayib Bukele" [These are the Officials that Will Make Up Nayib Bukele's Cabinet]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Villarán, Julio (26 June 2023). "Sol, y se Oficializa como Aspirante a Alcaldesa de La Libertad Este" [Sol, and She Registers as a Candidate for Mayor of La Libertad Este]. La Página (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ Villarán, Julio (16 January 2024). "Michelle Sol Aventaja por 18.2 Puntos a Milagro Navas en Intención de Voto por La Libertad Este" [Michelle Sol Leads Milagro Navas by 18.2 Points in Voter Intention for La Libertad Este]. La Página (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ Portillo, Denni (16 February 2024). "Michelle Sol Rechaza Debatir con Milagro Navas" [Michelle Sol Rejects Debating with Milagro Navas]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ Guzmán, Jessica (3 March 2024). "Milagro Navas se Proclama Ganadora y Michelle Sol Reconoce su Triunfo en La Libertad Este" [Milagro Navas is Proclaimed the Winner and Michelle Sol Recognizes Her Victory in La Libertad Este]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- ^ Alvarado, Jimmy (February 2023). "Empresa de Castro y Sol Recibió Medio Millón de Dólares de la Partida Secreta de Funes" [Company of Castro and Sol Received Half a Million Dollars from the Funes' Black Budget]. El Faro (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
