In February 1938, Roberto M. Ortiz became President of which South American country?
TagMe TagMe Search Search
Roberto_María_Ortiz.txt President_of_Argentina.txt Bolivia.txt El_Salvador_national_football_team.txt
Roberto María Ortiz President of Argentina Bolivia El Salvador national football team
Jaime Gerardo Roberto Marcelino María Ortiz Lizardi (September 24, 1886 – July 15, 1942) was President of Argentina from February 20, 1938 to June 27, 1942.

Ortiz was born in Buenos Aires. As a student at the University of Buenos Aires, he participated in an unsuccessful revolution in 1905. In 1909 he graduated from the university and became a lawyer. 

He became active in the Radical Civic Union and was elected to the Argentine National Congress in 1920. He served as minister of public works from 1925 to 1928. He supported the revolution of 1930 and served as treasury minister from 1935 to 1937. 

In the presidential elections of 1937, he was the official government candidate and won, though the opposition accused him of participating in fraud, as irregularities were widespread. Ortiz never denied those charges but once he took office he tried to make Argentine politics more open and truly democratic. Soon after becoming president, Ortiz became seriously ill with diabetes and on July 3, 1940, he delegate his powers to vice-president Ramón Castillo. He was pro-Ally but because of opposition in the army, he didn't break relations with the Axis. He resigned a few weeks before his death. The President of the Argentine Nation (), usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

Through Argentine history, the office of the Head of State has undergone many changes, both in its title as in its features and powers. Current President Mauricio Macri was sworn into office on 10 December 2015. 

Features of the office

Requirements

Section 90 of the Argentine Constitution establishes the requirements for becoming President. The President must be a natural-born citizen of the country, or have been born to an Argentine citizen if born abroad. The President must also be at least 30 years old. In addition, all the requirements for becoming a Senator apply.

Sections 94 to 98 detail the electoral requirements. A two-round system is used (Section 94). In order to win the election in the first round, the winning candidate's party must receive either more than 45 percent of so-called "votos positivos" (Section 97) or at least 40 percent of "votos positivos" and be more than 10 percentage points ahead of the next most-voted candidate (Section 98). "Votos positivos" (positive votes) are the votes validly cast for any of the candidates, leaving out of the count blank and spoilt votes.

If no candidate obtains the necessary votes to win in the first round, then the two candidates with the most votes compete in the second round, held two weeks later, when the candidate with the most votes in that round is elected president.

Term duration

Under the 1994 constitutional amendment, the President serves for four years, with a possibility of immediate reelection for one more term. However, unlike the President of the United States, in Argentina a person may be reelected again after serving for two terms, and staying out of office for the following term. So after serving for two consecutive periods, the president is not allowed to run for a third consecutive one, but may return for the two following elections and so on. There is no limit for a person to be a candidate if he or she does not win the elections.

Also, a person being vice-president for two consecutive periods, or president and then vice-president, or vice-president and then president, is under the same restrictions mentioned above.

Under the constitution of 1853, the President served for six years, with no possibility of consecutive reelection. In 1949, reelection for an indefinite number of terms was allowed (and disabled in 1957). After the 1966 military coup, the rulers promulgated a law establishing terms of four years, terms which were never completed because of political instability.

In addition with the 1994 constitutional reform, the requirement of belonging to the Roman Catholic faith in order to be President or Vice President of the Republic, was also abolished.

Powers (Article 99)

The President of the Nation has the following powers:

* Is the supreme head of the Nation, head of government and is politically responsible for the general administration of the country.
* Issues the instructions and regulations necessary for the execution of the laws of the nation, without altering their spirit with regulatory exceptions.
* Participates in the making of laws under the Constitution, promulgates them and has them published. The Executive Power shall in no case under penalty, and void, issue legislative provisions. Only when exceptional circumstances make it impossible to follow the ordinary procedures foreseen by this Constitution for the enactment of laws, and not try to rules governing criminal matters, taxation, electoral or political party regime, may issue decrees on grounds of necessity and urgency, which will be decided by a general agreement of ministers who shall countersign them together with the head of cabinet of ministers. The head of personally and within ten days submit the decision to the consideration of the Joint Standing Committee, whose composition should respect the proportion of the political representation of each chamber. This commission shall submit its report within ten days to the plenary of each House for its specific treatment, they immediately considered the Chambers. A special law enacted with the absolute majority of all the members of each House shall regulate the procedure and scope of Congress intervention.
* Appoints the judges of the Supreme Court with the Senate by two-thirds of the members present, at a public meeting convened for that purpose. Appoints the other judges of the lower federal courts according to a binding three candidates proposed by the Judiciary Council, with the Senate, in public session, in which the suitability of candidates will be considered. A new appointment, the same consent, it is necessary to keep in under any of those judges, once they reach the age of seventy-five years. All appointments of judges whose age is indicated or over shall be five years and may be repeated indefinitely, by the same procedure.
* May grant pardons or commute sentences for crimes subject to federal jurisdiction, following a report of the court, except in cases of impeachment by the House of Representatives.
* Grant pensions, retirements, pensions and licenses under the laws of the Nation.
* Appoints and removes ambassadors, ministers plenipotentiary and business with the Senate; alone appoints and removes the chief of cabinet ministers and other cabinet ministers, the officers of his Secretariat, consular agents and employees whose appointments are not otherwise regulated by this Constitution.
* Annually attends the opening session of the Congress, both Houses assembled for this purpose, this time realising the state of the Nation, on amendments promised by the Constitution, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.
* Attends regular sessions of Congress, or convokes extraordinary sessions when a serious interest order or progress requires.
* Oversees the performance of the duties of the Chief of the Ministerial Cabinet as regards the collection of the revenues of the Nation and its investment in accordance with the law or budget of national expenditures.

History of the office of Head of State

The origins of Argentina as a nation can be traced to 1776, when it was separated by the Spanish King from the existing Viceroyalty of Peru, creating the new Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. The Head of State continued to be the King, but he was represented locally by the Viceroy. These Viceroys were seldom natives of the country.

By the May Revolution of May 25, 1810, the first Argentine autonomous government, known as the Primera Junta, was formed in Buenos Aires. It was later known as the Junta Grande when representatives from the provinces joined. These early attempts of self-government were succeeded by two Triumvirates and, although the first juntas had presidents, the King of Spain was still regarded as Head of State (as independence had not yet been declared), and the executive power was still not in the hands of a single person.

This power was vested in one man when the position of Supreme Director was created by the 1813 National Assembly. The Supreme Directors became Heads of State after Independence was declared on 9 July 1816, but there was not yet truly a presidential system.

In 1819, Congress declared Independence and composed a Constitution. This established an executive figure, named Supreme Director, who was vested with presidential powers. This constitution gave the Supreme Director the power of appointing Governors of the provinces. Due to political circumstances, this constitution never came into force, and the central power was dissolved, leaving the country as a federation of provinces.

A new constitution was drafted in 1826. This constitution was the first to create a President, although this office retained the powers described in the 1819 constitution. This constitution did come into force, resulting in the election of the first President, Bernardino Rivadavia. Because of the Cisplatine War, Rivadavia resigned after a short time, and the office was dissolved shortly after.

A civil war between unitarios (unitarians, i.e. Buenos Aires centralists) and federales (federalists) ensued in the following decades. In this time, there was no central authority, and the closest to that was the Chairman of Foreign Relations, typically the Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires. The last to bear this title was Juan Manuel de Rosas, who in the last years of his governorship was elected Supreme Chief of the Confederation, gaining effective rule of the rest of the country.

In 1852, Rosas was deposed, and a constitutional convention was summoned. This constitution, still in force, established a national federal government, with the office of the President. The term was fixed as six years, with no possibility of reelection. The first elected President under the constitution was Justo José de Urquiza, but Buenos Aires seceded from the Argentine Confederation as the State of Buenos Aires. Bartolomé Mitre was the first president of the unified country, when Buenos Aires rejoined the Confederation. Thus, Rivadavia, Urquiza and Mitre are considered the first presidents of Argentina by different historians: Rivadavia for being the first one to use the title, Urquiza for being the first one to rule under the 1853 constitution, and Mitre for being the first president of Argentina under its current national limits. 

In 1930, and again in 1943, 1955, 1962, 1966 and 1976, military coups deposed elected Presidents. In 1966 and 1976, federal government was undertaken by a military junta, where power was shared by the chiefs of the armed forces. In 1962, the President of the Senate ruled, but in the other cases, a military chief assumed the title of President.

It is debatable whether these military presidents can properly be called Presidents, as there are issues with the legitimacy of their governments. The position of the current Argentine government is that military Presidents Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri and Jorge Rafael Videla were explicitly not legitimate presidents. They, and their immediate successors were denied the right to a presidential pension after the conclusion of their terms. The status of earlier military presidents, however, remains more uncertain.

De facto governments 

Following military coups that overthrew the constitutional government were de facto military presidents in 1930–1932, 1943–1946, 1955–1958, 1966–1973 and 1976–1983 that brought in addition to the powers of the president also corresponding to Congress. The subsequent analysis of the validity of their actions led to the subsequent formulation of the doctrine of de facto governments.

That doctrine was nullified by the constitutional reform of 1994, which added Article 36 (see below).

Article 29 of the Constitution of 1853 had an article that considered the usurpation of public power as 'treason', but was referred to the de jure rulers. For this reason the constitutional reform of 1994 included Article 36 which says: 

"Article 36.  This Constitution shall rule even when its observance is interrupted by acts of force against the institutional order and the democratic system. These acts shall be irreparably null.

"Their authors shall be punished with the penalty foreseen in Section 29, disqualified in perpetuity from holding public offices and excluded from the benefits of pardon and commutation of sentences.

"Those who, as a consequence of these acts, were to assume the powers foreseen for the authorities of this Constitution or for those of the provinces, shall be punished with the same penalties and shall be civil and criminally liable for their acts. The respective actions shall not be subject to prescription.

"All citizens shall have the right to oppose resistance to those committing the acts of force stated in this section.

"He who, procuring personal enrichment, incurs in serious fraudulent offense against the Nation shall also attempt against the democratic system, and shall be disqualified to hold public office for the term specified by law.

"Congress shall enact a law on public ethics which shall rule the exercise of public office."

In summary the article states:

* Absolute nullity of the acts issued by government installed by force;
* The authors shall be punished as traitors;
* These crimes are barred and the authors can not receive the benefit of the amnesty;
* Every citizen has the right to resistance against these acts of force.

Trivia 

The most famous presidential airplane, known as "Tango 01" (by analogy with U.S. Air Force One), owes its name to the denomination of T (pronounced tango in the NATO alphabet) for Transport, which creates an interesting word-game for the Argentine classical Tango music. The presidential helicopter is the usual means of transport between the Quinta de Olivos and the Casa Rosada.

File:Casa Rosada - Argentine version of the White House.jpg|La Casa Rosada.
File:Quinta de Olivos.jpg|Quinta de Olivos.
File:Argentina Boeing 757-200 Tango 01 Transporte Presidencial 1 Lebeda.jpg|Tango 01.
File:Audi A8 III 4.2 TDI quattro front 20100416.jpg|Presidential car

Line of succession 

Vice-President

The office of Vice-President was established by the 1853 Constitution for the purpose of providing a succession in case the President is unable to complete their term. The Argentine Constitution (art. 88) entitles the Vice-President to exercise the role and duties of the President, both in the case of a temporary absence and in the case of a permanent absence due to health reasons, death, resignation or removal.

Further succession

In the absence of both the President and the Vice-President, the succession is regulated by the Law 20,972 ("Acephaly Law"). It provides that the Executive Power must be temporarily exercised (without assuming the title of President) by the provisional President of the Senate. In his absence, by the President of the Chamber of Deputies. In the absence of both, by the President of the Supreme Court.

In case of the permanent absence of both the President and the Vice-President, due to resignation, death, or removal, the Constitution (art. 88) entitles the National Congress Assembled to select a new President from among the current Senators, Deputies and Governors, within the following two days of the death or resignation of the former President, and to provide him or her with a mandate to call for elections.

Living former presidents

File:Isabelita ícono.jpg|Isabel Perón1974–1976 
File:Reynaldo Bignone-2.jpg|Reynaldo Bignone1982–1983
File:Menem con banda presidencial.jpg|Carlos Menem1989–1999
File:Fernando de la Rúa con bastón y banda de presidente.jpg|Fernando de la Rúa1999–2001
File:Arodriguezsaa.jpg|Adolfo Rodríguez Saá2001
File:Eduardo duhalde presidente.jpg|Eduardo Duhalde2002–2003
File:Cristinakirchnermensaje2010.jpg|Cristina Kirchner2007–2015

Facts

* President elected to the most terms: Juan Perón, three terms, elected consecutively in 1946 and 1951, and in 1973.
* President elected with the most difference between the winner and the second: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in 2011 with 54.11% to the 16% of Hermes Binner
* President who held office for most time: Julio Argentino Roca, for 12 years, in two terms (1880–1886 and 1898–1904).
* President who held office for most time continuously: Carlos Menem, for 10 years and 5 months, in two terms (1989–1999).
* President who held office for the shortest time (not counting interim presidents): Arturo Rawson, for three days: June 4 to 6, 1943.
* First President: Bernardino Rivadavia, 1826.
* First President under the present Constitution: Justo José de Urquiza, 1854 to 1860.
* First President born an Argentine citizen, not a Spanish subject: Bartolomé Mitre, in 1821.
* First President elected in the twentieth century: Manuel Quintana, in 1904.
* First President elected in the twenty-first century: Néstor Carlos Kirchner, in 2003.
* First de facto President: José Félix Uriburu, 1930.
* Last de facto President: Reynaldo Bignone, left in 1983.
* First female President: Isabel Perón (1974–1976).
* First elected female President: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, in 2007.
* Presidents who died in office: Manuel Quintana (1906), Roque Sáenz Peña (1914) and Juan Perón (1974).
* Presidents who were assassinated: Justo José de Urquiza (1870) and Pedro Eugenio Aramburu (1970), both after concluding their terms.
* Living former presidents as of 10 December 2015: Isabel Perón, Carlos Menem, Fernando de la Rúa, Adolfo Rodríguez Saá, Eduardo Duhalde and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and dictator Reynaldo Bignone. Bolivia (;; ; ; ), officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia (),   is a landlocked country located in western-central South America. It is bordered to the north and east by Brazil, to the southeast by Paraguay, to the south by Argentina, to the southwest by Chile, and to the northwest by Peru. One-third of the country is the Andean mountain range, with its largest city and principal economic centers located in the Altiplano.

Before Spanish colonization, the Andean region of Bolivia was part of the Inca Empire, while the northern and eastern lowlands were inhabited by independent tribes. Spanish conquistadors arriving from Cuzco and Asunción took control of the region in the 16th century. During most of the Spanish colonial period, Bolivia was known as Upper Peru and administered by the Royal Court of Charcas. Spain built its empire in great part upon the silver that was extracted from Bolivia's mines.

After the first call for independence in 1809, 16 years of war followed before the establishment of the Republic, named for Simón Bolívar, on 6 August 1825. Since independence, Bolivia has endured periods of political and economic instability, including the loss of various peripheral territories to its neighbors, such as Acre and parts of the Gran Chaco. It has been landlocked since the annexation of its Pacific coast territory by Chile following the War of the Pacific (1879–84), but agreements with neighbouring countries have granted it indirect access to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The country's population, estimated at 10 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Mestizos, Europeans, Asians and Africans. The racial and social segregation that arose from Spanish colonialism has continued to the modern era. Spanish is the official and predominant language, although 36 indigenous languages also have official status, of which the most commonly spoken are Guarani, Aymara and Quechua languages.

Modern Bolivia is constitutionally a democratic republic, divided into nine departments. Its geography varies from the peaks of the Andes in the West, to the Eastern Lowlands, situated within the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country, with a medium ranking in the Human Development Index and a poverty level of 53 percent.  Its main economic activities include agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, and manufacturing goods such as textiles, clothing, refined metals, and refined petroleum. Bolivia is very wealthy in minerals, especially tin.

Etymology 

Bolivia is named after Simón Bolívar, a leader in the Spanish American wars of independence.  The leader of Venezuela, Antonio José de Sucre, had been given the option by Bolívar to either keep Upper Peru (present-day Bolivia) under the newly formed Republic of Peru, to unite with the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, or to formally declare its independence from the Viceroyalty of Peru that had dominated most of the region. Sucre opted to create a brand new nation and, with local support, named it in honor of Simón Bolívar. 

The original name was Republic of Bolívar. Some days later, congressman Manuel Martín Cruz proposed: "If from Romulus comes Rome, then from Bolívar comes Bolivia" (). The name was approved by the Republic on 3 October 1825.  In 2009, a new constitution changed the country's official name to "Plurinational State of Bolivia" in recognition of the multi-ethnic nature of the country and the enhanced position of Bolivia's indigenous peoples under the new constitution. 

History 

Pre-colonial 

The region now known as Bolivia had been occupied for over 2,000 years when the Aymara arrived. Present-day Aymara associate themselves with an advanced civilization Tiwanaku culture with capital in Tiwanaku, in Western Bolivia. The capital city of Tiwanaku dates from as early as 1500 BC when it was a small, agriculturally based village. 

The community grew to urban proportions between AD 600 and AD 800, becoming an important regional power in the southern Andes. According to early estimates, the city covered approximately  at its maximum extent and had between 15,000 and 30,000 inhabitants.  In 1996 satellite imaging was used to map the extent of fossilized suka kollus (flooded raised fields) across the three primary valleys of Tiwanaku, arriving at population-carrying capacity estimates of anywhere between 285,000 and 1,482,000 people. 

Around AD 400, Tiwanaku went from being a locally dominant force to a predatory state. Tiwanaku expanded its reaches into the Yungas and brought its culture and way of life to many other cultures in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Tiwanaku was not a violent culture in many respects. In order to expand its reach, Tiwanaku exercised great political astuteness, creating colonies, fostering trade agreements (which made the other cultures rather dependent), and instituting state cults. 

The empire continued to grow with no end in sight. William H. Isbell states "Tiahuanaco underwent a dramatic transformation between AD 600 and 700 that established new monumental standards for civic architecture and greatly increased the resident population."  Tiwanaku continued to absorb cultures rather than eradicate them. Archaeologists note a dramatic adoption of Tiwanaku ceramics into the cultures which became part of the Tiwanaku empire. Tiwanaku's power was further solidified through the trade it implemented among the cities within its empire.

Tiwanaku's elites gained their status through the surplus food they controlled, collected from outlying regions and then redistributed to the general populace. Further, this elite's control of llama herds became a powerful control mechanism as llamas were essential for carrying goods between the civic centre and the periphery. These herds also came to symbolize class distinctions between the commoners and the elites. Through this control and manipulation of surplus resources, the elite's power continued to grow until about AD 950. At this time a dramatic shift in climate occurred,  causing a significant drop in precipitation in the Titicaca Basin, believed by archaeologists to have been on the scale of a major drought.

As the rainfall decreased, many of the cities further away from Lake Titicaca began to tender less foodstuffs to the elites. As the surplus of food decreased, and thus the amount available to underpin their power, the control of the elites began to falter. The capital city became the last place viable for food production due to the resiliency of the raised field method of agriculture. Tiwanaku disappeared around AD 1000 because food production, the main source of the power elite's control, dried up. The area remained uninhabited for centuries thereafter.

Between 1438 and 1527, the Inca empire, during its last great expansion, gained control over much of what is now western Bolivia. The Incas would not maintain control of the region for long, as the rapidly expanding Inca Empire was internally weak.

Colonial period 

The Spanish conquest of the Inca empire began in 1524, and was mostly completed by 1533. The territory now called Bolivia was known as "Upper Peru", and was under the authority of the Viceroy of Lima. Local government came from the Audiencia de Charcas located in Chuquisaca (La Plata—modern Sucre). Founded in 1545 as a mining town, Potosí soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming the largest city in the New World with a population exceeding 150,000 people. 

By the late 16th century, Bolivian silver was an important source of revenue for the Spanish Empire.  A steady stream of natives served as labor force under the brutal, slave conditions of the Spanish version of the pre-Columbian draft system called the mita.  Upper Peru was bounded to Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776. Túpac Katari led the indigenous rebellion that laid siege to La Paz in March 1781,  during which 20,000 people died.  As Spanish royal authority weakened during the Napoleonic wars, sentiment against colonial rule grew.

Independence and subsequent wars 

The struggle for independence started in the city of Sucre on 25 May 1809, with the first cry of Freedom in Latin America, the Chuquisaca Revolution (Chuquisaca was then the name of the city). That revolution, which created a local government junta, was followed by the La Paz revolution, during which Bolivia actually declared independence. Both revolutions were short-lived, and defeated by the Spanish authorities, but the following year the Spanish American wars of independence raged across the continent.

Bolivia was captured and recaptured many times during the war by the royalists and patriots. Buenos Aires sent three military campaigns, all of which were defeated, and eventually limited itself to protecting the national borders at Salta. Bolivia was finally freed of Royalist dominion by Antonio José de Sucre, with a military campaign coming from the North in support of the campaign of Simón Bolívar. After 16 years of war the Republic was proclaimed on 6 August 1825.

In 1836, Bolivia, under the rule of Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz, invaded Peru to reinstall the deposed president, General Luis José de Orbegoso. Peru and Bolivia formed the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, with de Santa Cruz as the Supreme Protector. Following tension between the Confederation and Chile, Chile declared war on 28 December 1836. Argentina, Chile's ally, declared war on the Confederation on 9 May 1837. The Peruvian-Bolivian forces achieved several major victories during the War of the Confederation: the defeat of the Argentine expedition and the defeat of the first Chilean expedition on the fields of Paucarpata near the city of Arequipa.

On the same field, the Chilean and Peruvian rebel army surrendered unconditionally and signed the Paucarpata Treaty. The treaty stipulated that Chile would withdraw from Peru-Bolivia, Chile would return captured Confederate ships, economic relations would be normalized, and the Confederation would pay Peruvian debt to Chile. In Chile, public outrage over the treaty forced the government to reject it. Chile organized a second attack on the Confederation and defeated it in the Battle of Yungay. After this defeat, Santa Cruz resigned and went to exile in Ecuador and then Paris, and the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation was dissolved.

Following the independence of Peru, Peruvian president General Agustín Gamarra invaded Bolivia. The Peruvian army was decisively defeated at the Battle of Ingavi on 20 November 1841 where Gamarra was killed. The Bolivian army under General José Ballivián then mounted a counter-offensive, capturing the Peruvian port of Arica. Later, both sides signed a peace treaty in 1842, putting a final end to the war.

A period of political and economic instability in the early-to-mid-19th century weakened Bolivia. In addition, during the War of the Pacific (1879–83), Chile  occupied vast territories rich in natural resources south west of Bolivia, including the Bolivian coast. Chile took control of today's Chuquicamata area, the adjoining rich salitre (saltpeter) fields, and the port of Antofagasta among other Bolivian territories.

Thus, since independence, Bolivia has lost over half of its territory to neighboring countries.  It also lost the state of Acre, in the Acre War, important because this region was known for its production of rubber. Peasants and the Bolivian army fought briefly but after a few victories, and facing the prospect of a total war against Brazil, it was forced to sign the Treaty of Petrópolis in 1903, in which Bolivia lost this rich territory. Popular myth has it that Bolivian president Mariano Melgarejo (1864–71) traded the land for what he called "a magnificent white horse" and Acre was subsequently flooded by Brazilians, which ultimately led to confrontation and fear of war with Brazil. In the late 19th century, an increase in the world price of silver brought Bolivia relative prosperity and political stability.

Early 20th century 

During the early 20th century, tin replaced silver as the country's most important source of wealth. A succession of governments controlled by the economic and social elite followed laissez-faire capitalist policies through the first thirty years of the 20th century. 

Living conditions of the native people, who constitute most of the population, remained deplorable. With work opportunities limited to primitive conditions in the mines and in large estates having nearly feudal status, they had no access to education, economic opportunity, and political participation. Bolivia's defeat by Paraguay in the Chaco War (1932–35), where Bolivia lost a great part of the Gran Chaco region in dispute, marked a turning-point.   

The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), the most historic political party, emerged as a broad-based party. Denied its victory in the 1951 presidential elections, the MNR led a successful revolution in 1952. Under President Víctor Paz Estenssoro, the MNR, having strong popular pressure, introduced universal suffrage into his political platform and carried out a sweeping land-reform promoting rural education and nationalization of the country's largest tin mines.

Late 20th century 

12 years of tumultuous rule left the MNR divided. In 1964, a military junta overthrew President Estenssoro at the outset of his third term. The 1969 death of President René Barrientos Ortuño, a former member of the junta who was elected president in 1966, led to a succession of weak governments. Alarmed by the rising Popular Assembly and the increase in the popularity of President Juan José Torres, the military, the MNR, and others installed Colonel (later General) Hugo Banzer Suárez as president in 1971. He returned to the presidency in 1997 through 2001.

The United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been active in providing finances and training to the Bolivian military dictatorship in the 1960s. The revolutionary leader Che Guevara was killed by a team of CIA officers and members of the Bolivian Army on 9 October 1967, in Bolivia. Félix Rodríguez was a CIA officer on the team with the Bolivian Army that captured and shot Guevara. Rodriguez said that after he received a Bolivian presidential execution order, he told "the soldier who pulled the trigger to aim carefully, to remain consistent with the Bolivian government's story that Che had been killed in action during a clash with the Bolivian army." Rodriguez said the US government had wanted Che in Panama, and "I could have tried to falsify the command to the troops, and got Che to Panama as the US government said they had wanted", but that he had chosen to "let history run its course" as desired by Bolivia.

Elections in 1979 and 1981 were inconclusive and marked by fraud. There were coups d'état, counter-coups, and caretaker governments. In 1980, General Luis García Meza Tejada carried out a ruthless and violent coup d'état that did not have popular support. He pacified the people by promising to remain in power only for one year. At the end of the year, he staged a televised rally to claim popular support and announced, "Bueno, me quedo", or, "All right; I'll stay [in office]."  After a military rebellion forced out Meza in 1981, three other military governments in 14 months struggled with Bolivia's growing problems. Unrest forced the military to convoke the Congress, elected in 1980, and allow it to choose a new chief executive. In October 1982, Hernán Siles Zuazo again became president, 22 years after the end of his first term of office (1956–60).

Democratic transition 

Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada pursued an aggressive economic and social reform agenda. The most dramatic reform was the "capitalization" program, under which investors, typically foreign, acquired 50% ownership and management control of public enterprises in return for agreed upon capital investments.

In 1993, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada ran for president in alliance with the Tupac Katari Revolutionary Liberation Movement, which inspired indigenous-sensitive and multicultural-aware policies.  In 1993, Sanchez de Lozada introduced the Plan de Todos, which led to the decentralization of government, introduction of intercultural bilingual education, implementation of agrarian legislation, and privatization of state owned businesses. The plan explicitly stated that Bolivian citizens would own a minimum of 51% of enterprises; under the plan, most state-owned enterprises (SOEs), though not mines, were sold.  This privatization of SOEs led neoliberal structuring that acknowledged a diverse population within Bolivia. 

The Law of Popular Participation gave municipalities the responsibility of maintaining various infrastructures (and offering services): health, education, systems of irrigation, which stripped the responsibility away from the state.

The reforms and economic restructuring were strongly opposed by certain segments of society, which instigated frequent and sometimes violent protests, particularly in La Paz and the Chapare coca-growing region, from 1994 through 1996. During this time, the umbrella labor-organization of Bolivia, the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), became increasingly unable to effectively challenge government policy. A teachers' strike in 1995 was defeated because the COB could not marshal the support of many of its members, including construction and factory workers.

In the 1997 elections, General Hugo Banzer, leader of the Nationalist Democratic Action party (ADN) and former dictator (1971–78), won 22% of the vote, while the MNR candidate won 18%. At the outset of his government, President Banzer launched a policy of using special police-units to eradicate physically the illegal coca of the Chapare region. The MIR of Jaime Paz Zamora remained a coalition-partner throughout the Banzer government, supporting this policy (called the Dignity Plan).  The Banzer government basically continued the free-market and privatization-policies of its predecessor. The relatively robust economic growth of the mid-1990s continued until about the third year of its term in office. After that, regional, global and domestic factors contributed to a decline in economic growth. Financial crises in Argentina and Brazil, lower world prices for export commodities, and reduced employment in the coca sector depressed the Bolivian economy. The public also perceived a significant amount of public sector corruption. These factors contributed to increasing social protests during the second half of Banzer's term.

Between January 1999 and April 2000, large-scale protests erupted in Cochabamba, Bolivia's third largest city, in response to the privatisation of water resources by foreign companies and a subsequent doubling of water prices. On 6 August 2001, Banzer resigned from office after being diagnosed with cancer. He died less than a year later. Vice President Jorge Fernando Quiroga Ramírez completed the final year of his term.

In the June 2002 national elections, former President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (MNR) placed first with 22.5% of the vote, followed by coca-advocate and native peasant-leader Evo Morales (Movement Toward Socialism, MAS) with 20.9%. A July agreement between the MNR and the fourth-place MIR, which had again been led in the election by former President Jaime Paz Zamora, virtually ensured the election of Sánchez de Lozada in the congressional run-off, and on 6 August he was sworn in for the second time. The MNR platform featured three overarching objectives: economic reactivation (and job creation), anti-corruption, and social inclusion.

In 2003 the Bolivian gas conflict broke out. On 12 October 2003 the government imposed martial law in El Alto after 16 people were shot by the police and several dozen wounded in violent clashes. Faced with the option of resigning or more bloodshed, Sanchez de Lozada offered his resignation in a letter to an emergency session of Congress. After his resignation was accepted and his vice president, Carlos Mesa, invested, he left on a commercially scheduled flight for the United States.

The country's internal situation became unfavorable for such political action on the international stage. After a resurgence of gas protests in 2005, Carlos Mesa attempted to resign in January 2005, but his offer was refused by Congress. On 22 March 2005, after weeks of new street protests from organizations accusing Mesa of bowing to U.S. corporate interests, Mesa again offered his resignation to Congress, which was accepted on 10 June. The chief justice of the Supreme Court, Eduardo Rodríguez, was sworn as interim president to succeed the outgoing Carlos Mesa.

The indigenous population of the Andean region was not able to benefit from government reforms. 

Evo Morales won the 2005 presidential election with 53.7% of the votes, an absolute majority, unusual in Bolivian elections. On 1 May 2006, Morales caused controversy when he announced his intent to re-nationalize Bolivian hydrocarbon assets. Fulfilling a campaign promise, on 6 August 2006, Morales opened the Bolivian Constituent Assembly to begin writing a new constitution aimed at giving more power to the indigenous majority. 

In August 2007, more conflicts arose in Sucre, as the city demanded the discussion of the seat of government inside the assembly, hoping the executive and legislative branches could return to the city, but the assembly and the government said this demand was overwhelmingly impractical and politically undesirable. In May 2008, Evo Morales was a signatory to the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty of the Union of South American Nations. In the 2009 national general elections, Evo Morales was re-elected with 64.22% of the vote. His party, Movement for Socialism, also won a two-thirds majority in both houses of the National Congress.

Geography 

Bolivia is located in the central zone of South America, between 57°26'–69°38'W and 9°38'–22°53'S. With an area of 1098581 km2, Bolivia is the world's 28th-largest country, and the fifth largest country in South America,  extending from the Central Andes through part of the Gran Chaco as far as the Amazon. The geographic center of the country is the so-called Puerto Estrella ("Star Port") on the Río Grande, in Ñuflo de Chávez Province, Santa Cruz Department.

The geography of the country exhibits a great variety of terrains and climates. Bolivia has a high level of biodiversity, considered one of the greatest in the world, as well as several ecoregions with ecological sub-units such as the Altiplano, tropical rainforests (including Amazon rainforest), dry valleys, and the Chiquitania, which is a tropical savanna. These areas feature enormous variations in altitude, from an elevation of 6542 m above sea level in Nevado Sajama to nearly 70 m along the Paraguay River. Although a country of great geographic diversity, Bolivia has remained a landlocked country since the War of the Pacific.

Bolivia can be divided into three physiographic regions:

*The Andean region in the southwest spans 28% of the national territory, extending over 307603 km². This area is located above 3000 m altitude and is located between two big Andean chains, the Cordillera Occidental ("Western Range") and the Cordillera Central ("Central Range"), with some of the highest spots in the Americas such as the Nevado Sajama, with an altitude of 6542 m, and the Illimani, at 6462 m. Also located in the Cordillera Central is Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America;  the lake is shared with Peru. Also in this region are the Altiplano and the Salar de Uyuni, which is the largest salt flat in the world and an important source of lithium.
*The Sub-Andean region in the center and south of the country is an intermediate region between the Altiplano and the eastern llanos (plain); this region comprises 13% of the territory of Bolivia, extending over 142815 km², and encompassing the Bolivian valleys and the Yungas region. It is distinguished by its farming activities and its temperate climate.
*The Llanos region in the northeast comprises 59% of the territory, with 648163 km². It is located to the north of the Cordillera Central and extends from the Andean foothills to the Paraguay River. It is a region of flat land and small plateaus, all covered by extensive rain forests containing enormous biodiversity. The region is below 400 m above sea level.

Bolivia has three drainage basins:

*The first is the Amazon Basin, also called the North Basin (724000 km²/66% of the territory). The rivers of this basin generally have big meanders which form lakes such as Murillo Lake in Pando Department. The main Bolivian tributary to the Amazon basin is the Mamoré River, with a length of 2000 km running north to the confluence with the Beni River, 1113 km in length and the second most important river of the country. The Beni River, along with the Madeira River, forms the main tributary of the Amazon River. From east to west, the basin is formed by other important rivers, such as the Madre de Dios River, the Orthon River, the Abuna River, the Yata River, and the Guaporé River. The most important lakes are Rogaguado Lake, Rogagua Lake, and Jara Lake.
*The second is the Rio de la Plata Basin, also called the South Basin (229500 km²/21% of the territory). The tributaries in this basin are in general less abundant than the ones forming the Amazon Basin. The Rio de la Plata Basin is mainly formed by the Paraguay River, Pilcomayo River, and Bermejo River. The most important lakes are Uberaba Lake and Mandioré Lake, both located in the Bolivian marshland.
*The third basin is the Central Basin, which is an endorheic basin (145081 km²/13% of the territory). The Altiplano has large numbers of lakes and rivers that do not run into any ocean because they are enclosed by the Andean mountains. The most important river is the Desaguadero River, with a length of 436 km, the longest river of the Altiplano; it begins in Lake Titicaca and then runs in a southeast direction to Poopó Lake. The basin is then formed by Lake Titicaca, Lake Poopó, the Desaguadero River, and great salt flats, including the Salar de Uyuni and Coipasa Lake.

Sustaining water supplies

Deforestation in upper river basins has caused environmental problems, including soil erosion and declining water quality. An innovative project to try and remedy this situation involves landholders in upstream areas being paid by downstream water users to conserve forests. The landholders receive $20 to conserve the trees, avoid polluting livestock practices, and enhance the biodiversity and forest carbon on their land. They receive $30, which purchases a beehive, to compensate for conservation for two hectares of water-sustaining forest for five years. Honey revenue per hectare of forest is $5 per year, so within five years, the landholder has sold $50 of honey.  The project is being conducted by Fundación Natura Bolivia and Rare Conservation, with support from the Climate & Development Knowledge Network.

Geology

The geology of Bolivia comprises a variety of different lithologies as well as tectonic and sedimentary environments. On a synoptic scale, geological units coincide with topographical units. Most elementally, the country is divided into a mountainous western area affected by the subduction processes in the Pacific and an eastern lowlands of stable platforms and shields.

Climate 

The climate of Bolivia varies drastically from one eco-region to the other, from the tropics in the eastern llanos to a polar climate in the western Andes. The summers are warm, humid in the east and dry in the west, with rains that often modify temperatures, humidity, winds, atmospheric pressure and evaporation, yielding very different climates in different areas. When the climatological phenomenon known as El Niño   takes place, it causes great alterations in the weather. Winters are very cold in the west, and it snows in the mountain ranges, while in the western regions, windy days are more common. The autumn is dry in the non-tropical regions.
*Llanos. A humid tropical climate with an average temperature of 30 °C. The wind coming from the Amazon rainforest causes significant rainfall. In May, there is low precipitation because of dry winds, and most days have clear skies. Even so, winds from the south, called surazos, can bring cooler temperatures lasting several days.
*Altiplano. Desert-Polar climates, with strong and cold winds. The average temperature ranges from 15 to 20 °C. At night, temperatures descend drastically to slightly above 0 °C, while during the day, the weather is dry and solar radiation is high. Ground frosts occur every month, and snow is frequent.
*Valleys and Yungas. Temperate climate. The humid northeastern winds are pushed to the mountains, making this region very humid and rainy. Temperatures are cooler at higher elevations. Snow occurs at altitudes of 2000 m.
*Chaco. Subtropical semi-arid climate. Rainy and humid in January and the rest of the year, with warm days and cool nights.

Biodiversity 

Bolivia, with an enormous variety of organisms and ecosystems, is part of the "Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries". 

Bolivia's variable altitudes, ranging from 90 - above sea level, allow for a vast biologic diversity. The territory of Bolivia comprises four types of biomes, 32 ecological regions, and 199 ecosystems. Within this geographic area there are several natural parks and reserves such as the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, the Madidi National Park, the Tunari National Park, the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, and the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area, among others.

Bolivia boasts over 17,000 species of seed plants, including over 1,200 species of fern, 1,500 species of marchantiophyta and moss, and at least 800 species of fungus. In addition, there are more than 3,000 species of medicinal plants. Bolivia is considered the place of origin for such species as peppers and chili peppers, peanuts, the common beans, yucca, and several species of palm. Bolivia also naturally produces over 4,000 kinds of potatoes.

Bolivia has more than 2,900 animal species, including 398 mammals, over 1,400 birds (about 14% of birds known in the world, being the sixth most diverse country in terms of bird species) , 204 amphibians, 277 reptiles, and 635 fish, all fresh water fish as Bolivia is a landlocked country. In addition, there are more than 3,000 types of butterfly, and more than 60 domestic animals.

Bolivia has gained global attention for its 'Law of the Rights of Mother Earth', which accords nature the same rights as humans. 

Politics and government 

Bolivia has been governed by democratically elected governments since 1982, when a long string of military coups came to an end. Presidents Hernán Siles Zuazo (1982–85) and Víctor Paz Estenssoro (1985–89) began a tradition of ceding power peacefully which has continued, although two presidents have stepped down in the face of popular protests: Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada in 2003 and Carlos Mesa in 2005.

Bolivia's multiparty democracy has seen a wide variety of parties in the presidency and parliament, although the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement, Nationalist Democratic Action, and the Revolutionary Left Movement predominated from 1985 to 2005. The current president is Evo Morales, the first indigenous Bolivian to serve as head of state. Morales' Movement for Socialism – Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples party was the first to win an outright presidential majority in four decades, doing so both in 2005 and 2009.

The constitution, drafted in 2006–07 and approved in 2009, provides for balanced executive, legislative, judicial, and electoral powers, as well as several levels of autonomy. The traditionally strong executive branch tends to overshadow the Congress, whose role is generally limited to debating and approving legislation initiated by the executive. The judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court and departmental and lower courts, has long been riddled with corruption and inefficiency. Through revisions to the constitution in 1994, and subsequent laws, the government has initiated potentially far-reaching reforms in the judicial system as well as increasing decentralizing powers to departments, municipalities, and indigenous territories.

The executive branch is headed by a President and Vice President, and consists of a variable number (currently, 20) of government ministries. The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote, and governs from the Presidential Palace (popularly called the Burnt Palace, Palacio Quemado) in La Paz. In the case that no candidate receives an absolute majority of the popular vote or more than 40% of the vote with an advantage of more than 10% over the second-place finisher, a run-off is to be held among the two candidates most voted.

The Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional (Plurinational Legislative Assembly or National Congress) has two chambers. The Cámara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies) has 130 members elected to five-year terms, seventy from single-member districts (circunscripciones), sixty by proportional representation, and seven by the minority indigenous peoples of seven departments. The Cámara de Senadores (Chamber of Senators) has 36 members (four per department). Members of the Assembly are elected to five-year terms. The body has its headquarters on the Plaza Murillo in La Paz, but also holds honorary sessions elsewhere in Bolivia. The Vice President serves as titular head of the combined Assembly.

The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Tribunal, the Judiciary Council, Agrarian and Environmental Tribunal, and District (departmental) and lower courts. In October 2011, Bolivia held its first judicial elections to choose members of the national courts by popular vote, a reform brought about by Evo Morales.

The Plurinational Electoral Organ is an independent branch of government which replaced the National Electoral Court in 2010. The branch consists of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the nine Departmental Electoral Tribunals, Electoral Judges, the anonymously selected Juries at Election Tables, and Electoral Notaries.  Wilfredo Ovando presides over the seven-member Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Its operations are mandated by the Constitution and regulated by the Electoral Regime Law (Law 026, passed 2010). The Organ's first elections were the country's first judicial election in October 2011, and five municipal special elections held in 2011.

Capital 

Bolivia has its constitutionally recognized capital in Sucre, while La Paz is the seat of government. La Plata (now Sucre) was proclaimed provisional capital of the newly independent Alto Perú (later, Bolivia) on 1 July 1826. On 12 July 1839, President José Miguel de Velasco proclaimed a law naming the city as the capital of Bolivia, and renaming it in honor of the revolutionary leader Antonio José de Sucre. The Bolivian seat of government moved to La Paz at the start of the twentieth century, as a consequence of Sucre's relative remoteness from economic activity after the decline of Potosí and its silver industry and of the Liberal Party in the War of 1899.

The 2009 Constitution assigns the role of national capital to Sucre, not referring to La Paz in the text.  In addition to being the constitutional capital, the Supreme Court of Bolivia is located in Sucre, making it the judicial capital. Nonetheless, the Palacio Quemado (the Presidential Palace and seat of Bolivian executive power) is located in La Paz, as are the National Congress and Plurinational Electoral Organ. La Paz thus continues to be the seat of government.

Law and crime 

There are 53 prisons in Bolivia which incarcerate around 8,700 people . The prisons are managed by the Penitentiary Regime Directorate (). There are 17 prisons in departmental capital cities and 36 provincial prisons.

Foreign relations 

Despite losing its maritime coast, the so-called Littoral Department, after the War of the Pacific, Bolivia has historically maintained, as a state policy, a maritime claim to Chile; the claim asks for sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean and its maritime space. The issue has also been presented before the Organization of American States; in 1979, the OAS passed the 426 Resolution,  which declared that the Bolivian problem is a hemispheric problem. On 4 April 1884, a truce was signed with Chile, whereby Chile gave facilities of access to Bolivian products through Antofagasta, and freed the payment of export rights in the port of Arica. In October 1904, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship was signed, and Chile agreed to build a railway between Arica and La Paz, to improve access of Bolivian products to the ports.

The Special Economical Zone for Bolivia in Ilo (ZEEBI) is a special economic area of 5 km of maritime coast, and a total extension of 358 hectares, called Mar Bolivia ("Sea Bolivia"), where Bolivia may maintain a free port near Ilo, Peru under its administration and operation  for a period of 99 years starting in 1992; once that time has passed, all the construction and territory revert to the Peruvian government. Since 1964, Bolivia has had its own port facilities in the Bolivian Free Port in Rosario, Argentina. This port is located on the Paraná River, which is directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean.

Military 

The Bolivian military comprises three branches: Ejército (Army), Naval (Navy) and Fuerza Aérea (Air Force). The legal age for voluntary admissions is 18; however, when the numbers are small the government recruits anyone as young as 14. The tour of duty is generally 12 months. The Bolivian government annually spends $130 million on defense. 

The Bolivian army has around 31,500 men. There are six military regions (regiones militares—RMs) in the army. The army is organized into ten divisions.

Though it is landlocked Bolivia keeps a navy. The Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana in Spanish) is a naval force about 5,000 strong in 2008. 

The Bolivian Air Force ('Fuerza Aérea Boliviana' or 'FAB') has nine air bases, located at La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Puerto Suárez, Tarija, Villamontes, Cobija, Riberalta, and Roboré.

Administrative divisions 

Bolivia has nine departments—Pando, La Paz, Beni, Oruro, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Potosí, Chuquisaca, Tarija.

According to what is established by the Bolivian Political Constitution, the Law of Autonomies and Decentralization regulates de procedure for the elaboration of Statutes of Autonomy, the transfer and distribution of direct competences between the central government and the autonomous entities. 

There are four levels of decentralization: Departmental government, constituted by the Departmental Assembly, with rights over the legislation of the department. The governor is chosen by universal suffrage. Municipal government, constituted by a Municipal Council, with rights over the legislation of the municipality. The mayor is chosen by universal suffrage. Regional government, formed by several provinces or municipalities of geographical continuity within a department. It is constituted by a Regional Assembly. Original indigenous government, self-governance of original indigenous people on the ancient territories where they live.

Economy 

Bolivia's estimated 2012 gross domestic product (GDP) totaled $27.43 billion at official exchange rate and $56.14 billion at purchasing power parity. Economic growth was estimated to be at about 5.2%, and inflation was estimated at about 6.9%. Bolivia was rated "Repressed" by the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom.  Despite a series of mostly political setbacks, between 2006 and 2009 the Morales administration has spurred growth higher than at any point in the preceding 30 years. The growth was accompanied by a moderate decrease in inequality.  A surplus budget of 1.7% (GDP) was obtained by 2012, the government runs surpluses since Morales administration reflecting a prudent economic management.

A major blow to the Bolivian economy came with a drastic fall in the price of tin during the early 1980s, which impacted one of Bolivia's main sources of income and one of its major mining industries.  Since 1985, the government of Bolivia has implemented a far-reaching program of macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform aimed at maintaining price stability, creating conditions for sustained growth, and alleviating scarcity. A major reform of the customs service has significantly improved transparency in this area. Parallel legislative reforms have locked into place market-liberal policies, especially in the hydrocarbon and telecommunication sectors, that have encouraged private investment. Foreign investors are accorded national treatment. 

In April 2000, Hugo Banzer, the former President of Bolivia, signed a contract with Aguas del Tunari, a private consortium, to operate and improve the water supply in Bolivia's third-largest city, Cochabamba. Shortly thereafter, the company tripled the water rates in that city, an action which resulted in protests and rioting among those who could no longer afford clean water.   Amidst Bolivia's nationwide economic collapse and growing national unrest over the state of the economy, the Bolivian government was forced to withdraw the water contract.

Bolivia has the second largest natural gas reserves in South America.  The government has a long-term sales agreement to sell natural gas to Brazil through 2019. The government held a binding referendum in 2005 on the Hydrocarbon Law.

The US Geological Service estimates that Bolivia has 5.4 million cubic tonnes of lithium, which represent 50%–70% of world reserves. However, to mine for it would involve disturbing the country's salt flats (called Salar de Uyuni), an important natural feature which boosts tourism in the region. The government does not want to destroy this unique natural landscape to meet the rising world demand for lithium.  On the other hand, sustainable extraction of lithium is attempted by the government. This project is carried out by the public company "Recursos Evaporíticos" subsidiary of COMIBOL.

Once Bolivia's government depended heavily on foreign assistance to finance development projects and to pay the public staff. At the end of 2002, the government owed $4.5 billion to its foreign creditors, with $1.6 billion of this amount owed to other governments and most of the balance owed to multilateral development banks. Most payments to other governments have been rescheduled on several occasions since 1987 through the Paris Club mechanism. External creditors have been willing to do this because the Bolivian government has generally achieved the monetary and fiscal targets set by IMF programs since 1987, though economic crises have undercut Bolivia's normally good record. However, by 2013 the foreign assistance is just a fraction of the government budget thanks to tax collection mainly from the profitable exports to Brazil and Argentina of natural gas.

The income from tourism has become increasingly important. Bolivia's tourist industry has grown gradually since about 1990.

Foreign-exchange reserves 

The amount in reserve currencies and gold held by Bolivia's Central Bank advanced from 1.085 billion US dollars in 2000, under Hugo Banzer Suarez's government, to 15.282 billion US dollars in 2014 under Evo Morales' government.

Transport 

Air traffic

The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil—DGAC) formerly part of the FAB, administers a civil aeronautics school called the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil—INAC), and two commercial air transport services TAM and TAB.

TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar (the Bolivian Military Airline) is an airline based in La Paz, Bolivia. It is the civilian wing of the 'Fuerza Aérea Boliviana' (the Bolivian Air Force), operating passenger services to remote towns and communities in the North and Northeast of Bolivia. TAM (a.k.a. TAM Group 71) has been a part of the FAB since 1945.

A similar airline serving the Beni Department with small planes is Línea Aérea Amaszonas,  using smaller planes than TAM.

Although a civil transport airline, TAB – Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos, was created as a subsidiary company of the FAB in 1977. It is subordinate to the Air Transport Management (Gerencia de Transportes Aéreos) and is headed by an FAB general. TAB, a charter heavy cargo airline, links Bolivia with most countries of the Western Hemisphere; its inventory includes a fleet of Hercules C130 aircraft. TAB is headquartered adjacent to El Alto International Airport. TAB flies to Miami and Houston, with a stop in Panama.

The three largest, and main international airports in Bolivia are El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz, and Jorge Wilstermann International Airport in Cochabamba.

Railways

Bolivia possessed an extensive but aged rail system, all in 1000 mm gauge, consisting of two disconnected networks.

Water supply and sanitation 

Bolivias's drinking water and Sanitation coverage has greatly improved since 1990 due to a considerable increase
in sectoral investment. However, the country has the continent's lowest coverage levels and services are of low 
quality. Political and institutional instability have 
contributed to the weakening of the sector's institutions at the 
national and local levels.

Two concessions to foreign private companies in two of the three largest cities — Cochabamba and La Paz/El Alto — were prematurely ended in 2000 and 2006 respectively. The country's second largest city, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, relatively successfully manages its own water and sanitation system by way of cooperatives. The government of Evo Morales intends to  strengthen citizen participation within the sector. Increasing coverage requires a substantial increase of investment financing.

According to the government the main problems in the sector are low access to sanitation throughout the country; low access to  water in rural areas; insufficient and ineffective investments; a low visibility of community service providers; a lack of respect of indigenous customs; "technical and institutional difficulties in the design and implementation of projects"; a lack of capacity to operate and maintain infrastructure; an institutional framework that is "not consistent with the political change in the country"; "ambiguities in the social participation schemes"; a reduction in the quantity and 
quality of water due to climate change; pollution and a lack of integrated water resources management; and the lack of policies and programs for the reuse of wastewater. 

Only 27% of the population has access to improved sanitation, 80 to 88% has access to improved water sources. Coverage in urban areas is bigger than in rural ones. 

Demographics 

According to the last two censuses carried out by the Bolivian National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE), the population increased from 8,274,325 (from which 4,123,850 were men and 4,150,475 were women) in 2001 to 10,027,254 in 2012.

In the last fifty years the Bolivian population has tripled, reaching a population growth rate of 2.25%. The growth of the population in the inter-census periods (1950–1976 and 1976–1992) was approximately 2.05%, while between the last period, 1992–2001, it reached 2.74% annually.

Some 62.43% of Bolivians live in urban areas, while the remaining 37.57% in rural areas. The most part of the population (70%) is concentrated in the departments of La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. In the Andean Altiplano region the departments of La Paz and Oruro hold the largest percentage of population, in the valley region the largest percentage is held by the departments of Cochabamba and Chuquisaca, while in the Llanos region by Santa Cruz and Beni. At national level, the population density is 8,49, with variations marked between 0,8 (Pando Department) and 26,2 (Cochabamba Department).

The largest population center is located in the so-called "central axis" and in the Llanos region. Bolivia has a young population. According to the 2011 census, 59% of the population is between 15 and 59 years old, 39% is less than 15 years old. Almost 60% of the population is younger than 25 years of age.

Ethnicity 

The ethnic composition of Bolivia is diverse. There are approximately three dozen native groups totaling 59% of the Bolivian population – the largest proportion of indigenous people in Latin America. The largest of these are the Quechuas (2.5 million), Aymaras (2 million), then Chiquitano (180,000), and Guaraní (125,000). So the full Amerindian population is at 60%; the remaining 30% are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white), and around 10% are white.

Indigenous peoples, also called "originarios" ("native" or "original") and less frequently, Amerindians, could be Andean, like the Aymaras and Quechuas (who formed the ancient Inca Empire), who are concentrated in the western departments of La Paz, Potosí, Oruro, Cochabamba and Chuquisaca. There also is an important ethnic population in the east, composed of the Chiquitano, Chane, Guaraní and Moxos, among others, who inhabit the departments of Santa Cruz, Beni, Tarija and Pando.

Mestizos are distributed throughout the entire country and make up 26% of the Bolivian population. Most people assume their mestizo identity while at the same time identifying themselves with one or more indigenous cultures.

Whites comprised about 14% of the population in 2006, and are usually concentrated in the largest cities: La Paz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba, but as well in some minor cities like Tarija. In the Santa Cruz Department, there are several dozen colonies of German-speaking Mennonites totaling around 40,000 inhabitants (). 

Afro-Bolivians, descendents of African slaves who arrived in the time of the Spanish Empire, inhabit the department of La Paz, and are located mainly in the provinces of Nor Yungas and Sud Yungas. Slavery was abolished in Bolivia in 1831. 

There are also important communities of Japanese(14,000), Chinese(4,600).

There are small numbers of European citizens from Germany, France, Italy and Portugal, as well as from other American countries, as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, the United States, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela, among others. There are important Peruvian colonies in La Paz, El Alto and Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Indigenous peoples 

The Indigenous peoples of Bolivia can be divided into two categories of ethnic groups: the Andeans, who are located in the Andean Altiplano and the valley region; and the lowland groups, who inhabit the warm regions of central and eastern Bolivia, including the valleys of Cochabamba Department, the Amazon Basin areas of northern La Paz Department, and the lowland departments of Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, and Tarija (including the Gran Chaco region in the southeast of the country). Large numbers of Andean peoples have also migrated to form Quechua, Aymara, and intercultural communities in the lowlands.

*Andean ethnicities
** Aymara people. They live on the high plateau of the departments of La Paz, Oruro and Potosí, as well as some small regions near the tropical flatlands.
** Quechua people. They mostly inhabit the valleys in Cochabamba and Chuquisaca. They also inhabit some mountain regions in Potosí and Oruro. They divide themselves into different Quechua nations, as the Tarabucos, Ucumaris, Chalchas, Chaquies, Yralipes, Tirinas, among others.
** Uru people
*Ethnicities of the Eastern Lowlands
** Guaraníes. Made up of Guarayos, Pausernas, Sirionos, Chiriguanos, Wichí, Chulipis, Taipetes, Tobas and Yuquis.
**Tacanas: Made up of Lecos, Chimanes, Araonas and Maropas.
**Panos: Made up of Chacobos, Caripunas, Sinabos, Capuibos and Guacanaguas.
**Aruacos: Made up of Apolistas, Baures, Moxos, Chané, Movimas, Cayabayas, Carabecas, Paiconecas or Paucanacas.
**Chapacuras: Made up of Itenez or More, Chapacuras, Sansinonianos, Canichanas, Itonamas, Yuracares, Guatoses and Chiquitos.
**Botocudos: Made up of Bororos y Otuquis.
**Zamucos: Made up of Ayoreos.

Language 

Bolivia has great linguistic diversity as a result of its multiculturalism. The Constitution of Bolivia recognizes 36 official languages besides Spanish: Aymara, Araona, Baure, Bésiro, Canichana, Cavineño, Cayubaba, Chacobo, Chiman, Ese Ejja, Guaraní, Guarasuawe, Guarayu, Itonama, Leco, Machajuyai-Kallawaya, Machineri, Maropa, Mojeño-Trinitario, Mojeño-Ignaciano, Moré, Mosetén, Movima, Pacawara, Puquina, Quechua, Sirionó, Tacana, Tapiete, Toromona, Uruchipaya, Weenhayek, Yaminawa, Yuki, Yuracaré and Zamuco. 

Spanish is the most spoken official language in the country, according to the 2001 census;  as it is spoken by 88.4% of the population, as a first language or second language in some indigenous populations. All legal and official documents issued by the State, including the Constitution, the main private and public institutions, the media, and commercial activities, are in Spanish.

The main indigenous languages are: Quechua (28% of the population in the 2001 census), Aymara (18%), Guarani (1%), other (4%) including the Moxos in the department of Beni.

Plautdietsch, a German dialect, is spoken by about 70,000 Mennonites in Santa Cruz. Portuguese is spoken mainly in the areas close to Brazil.

Religion 

Bolivia is a constitutionally secular state that guarantees the freedom of religion and the independence of government from religion."

According to the 2001 census conducted by the National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia, 78 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, followed by 19 percent Protestant and 3 percent non-religious.  

The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on the World Christian Database) records that in 2010, 92.5 percent of Bolivians identified as Christian (of any denomination), 3.1 percent identified with indigenous religion, 2.2 percent identified as Bahá'í, 1.9 percent identified as agnostic, and all other groups constituted 0.1 percent or less. 

Much of the indigenous population adheres to different traditional beliefs marked by inculturation or syncretisim with Christianity. The cult of Pachamama,  or "Mother Earth", as well as the adoration to the Virgin of Copacabana, Virgin of Urkupiña and Virgin of Socavón, are notable. There also are important Aymaran communities near Lake Titicaca that have a strong devotion to James the Apostle.  Other deities worshiped in Bolivia include Ekeko, the Aymaran god of abundance and prosperity, whose day is celebrated every 24 January, and Tupá, a god of the Guaraní people.

Largest cities and towns 

Approximately 67 percent of Bolivians live in urban areas, among the lowest proportion in South America. Nevertheless, the rate of urbanization is growing steadily, at around 2.5 percent annually. According to the 2012 census, there are total of 3,158,691 households in Bolivia — an increase of 887,960 from 2001.  In 2009, 75.4 percent of homes were classified as a house, hut, or Pahuichi; 3.3 percent were apartments; 21.1 percent were rental residences; and 0.1 percent were mobile homes.  Most of the country's largest cities are located in the highlands of the west and central regions.
 

Culture 

Bolivian culture has been heavily influenced by the Quechua, the Aymara, as well as the popular cultures of Latin America as a whole.

The cultural development is divided into three distinct periods: precolumbian, colonial, and republican. Important archaeological ruins, gold and silver ornaments, stone monuments, ceramics, and weavings remain from several important pre-Columbian cultures. Major ruins include Tiwanaku, El Fuerte de Samaipata, Inkallaqta and Iskanawaya. The country abounds in other sites that are difficult to reach and have seen little archaeological exploration. 

The Spanish brought their own tradition of religious art which, in the hands of local native and mestizo builders and artisans, developed into a rich and distinctive style of architecture, painting, and sculpture known as "Mestizo Baroque". The colonial period produced not only the paintings of Pérez de Holguín, Flores, Bitti, and others but also the works of skilled but unknown stonecutters, woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and silversmiths. An important body of Native Baroque religious music of the colonial period was recovered and has been performed internationally to wide acclaim since 1994.

Bolivian artists of stature in the 20th century include María Luisa Pacheco, Roberto Mamani Mamani, Alejandro Mario Yllanes, Alfredo Da Silva, and Marina Núñez del Prado.

Bolivia has a rich folklore. Its regional folk music is distinctive and varied. The "devil dances" at the annual carnival of Oruro are one of the great folkloric events of South America, as is the lesser known carnival at Tarabuco.
The best known of the various festivals found in the country is the "Carnaval de Oruro", which was among the first 19 "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity", as proclaimed by UNESCO in May 2001.

Entertainment includes football.

Cuisine 

Cuisine in Bolivia stems mainly from the combination of Spanish cuisine with traditional indigenous Aymara/Inca ingredients, with the addition of later influences from German, Italian, Basque, Russian, Polish, and Arab immigrants.

Artistic and popular references 

The 2011 Caroline Alethia novel Plant Teacher takes place in Bolivia from 2007 to 2008. The novel explores such themes as politics, indigenous religions, and narcotourism. 

Education 

In 2008, following UNESCO standards, Bolivia was declared free of illiteracy, making it the fourth country in South America to attain this status. 

Bolivia has public and private universities. Among them: Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca USFX – Sucre, founded in 1624; Universidad Mayor de San Andres UMSA – La Paz, founded in 1830; Universidad Mayor de San Simon UMSS – Cochabamba, founded in 1832; Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno UAGRM – Santa Cruz de la Sierra, founded in 1880; Universidad Tecnica de Oruro UTO – Oruro, founded in 1892; and Universidad Autónoma Tomás Frías UATF – Potosi, founded in 1892.

Health 

Based on 2013 The World Factbook estimates, Bolivia is ranked 161st in life expectancy with a number of 68.2 years.  Life expectancy for men is 65.4 and for women is 71.1. A study by the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations International Emergency Children's Fund reported over 230 babies died per day in Bolivia through lack of proper care.  The majority of the population has no health insurance or access to healthcare.  Demographic and Health Surveys has completed five surveys in Bolivia since 1989 on a wide range of topics. El Salvador's National Football Team (Selección de fútbol de El Salvador in Spanish) represents El Salvador in international football and is controlled by the Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT). In 1899, two teams from Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first known football game in El Salvador. The national team's first match was played in September 1921, when they were invited to participate in a tournament to celebrate 100 years of Central American Independence.

El Salvador has made two FIFA World Cup appearances: first in 1970 and again in 1982, but have never progressed beyond the first stage of a finals tournament. They were the 1943 CCCF champions, and finished in second-place in the 1941 and 1961 championships. They have competed in the CONCACAF regional tournaments fourteen times, finishing as runners-up in 1963 and 1981. La Selecta also competes in the biennial UNCAF Nations Cup, the Pan American Games, the Olympics, and have achieved two gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games.

The Estadio Cuscatlán, also known as "El Coloso de Montserrat" and "La Catedral del Espectáculo", is the official home stadium of the El Salvador national football team. Since 2008, the national team has had a kit sponsorship contract with England-based supplier Mitre. Raúl Díaz Arce is the all-time top-scorer for the national team, with 39 goals, while Alfredo Pacheco has the most caps with 85 appearances.

History

Beginnings of the national team

Salvadoran football had its origins in the city of Santa Ana, on a field called "Campo Marte". This was the first time a football game was hosted in El Salvador. That first game took place on July 26, 1899 among players from Santa Ana and San Salvador. Both teams had several foreign players from England who are credited with introducing football to El Salvador. The home team won the game 2–0. 

Although El Salvador played a few games in the early part of the 20th century, they did not form an official national team until 1921 when players such as José Pablo Huezo, Carlos Escobar Leiva or Santiago Barrachina revolutionized football in the country.   In September 1921, El Salvador were invited to Guatemala to take part in the Independence Centenary Games, to celebrate 100 years of Central American Independence.   The tournament was between Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. The Guatemalans and Costa Ricans had more experience with football than the Salvadorans and Hondurans.  It was a single-elimination tournament with Guatemala playing Honduras and El Salvador playing Costa Rica. El Salvador, which were dressed with white shorts and black shirt, utilized the classic 2–3–5 scheme with Carlos Escobar Leyva; Spanish resident Santiago Barrachina, José Pablo Huezo; Benjamín Sandoval, Emilio Dawson, and Frenchman Emilio Detruit; Víctor Recinos, brothers Guillermo and José E. Alcaine, Guillermo Sandoval and Enrique Lindo. By halftime Costa Rica was up 3–0, and at the final whistle after 80 minutes (40 minutes for each half) won 7–0.  Despite the loss, this tournament was the starting point of the official El Salvador national team.

Other than the tournament, El Salvador only played international friendlies (all against Costa Rica and Honduras) for the rest of the 1920s. El Salvador lost their first friendly 3–0 against Costa Rica, while the second and third ended in a 1–0 loss and 0–0 draw against Honduras. On 7 December 1928, El Salvador recorded its first ever win: a 5–0 victory over Honduras, the team that would become their traditional rivals. The game was played at Campo Marte, San Salvador, and was not only El Salvador's first ever recorded win, but also the first time the team had scored in an international match. Gustavo "Taviche" Marroquín scored every goal, becoming the first ever Salvadoran player to score five goals in a single game for the El Salvador national football team (a feat later equaled by Miguel Cruz and Rudis Corrales.)

1930s

In the early 1930s, El Salvador appointed its first official national coach, American Mark Scott Thompson, in preparation for the 1930 Central American and Caribbean Games in Havana, Cuba.  El Salvador finished in fourth place at the games.  The Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol, the official governing football organization in El Salvador, was founded in 1935. By this time, El Salvador were coached by Spaniard Pablo Ferre Elías. The El Salvador-hosted 1935 Central American and Caribbean Games took place in the new government funded Estadio Flor Blanca, at that time the biggest stadium in the country. The Salvadoran squad consisted of Edmundo Majano as goalkeeper; Tobias Rivera and Raúl Castro in defense; Américo Gonzalez and Napoleon Cañas as midfielders; and Álex Morales, Rogelio Aviles, Fidel Quintanilla, Miguel "Americano" Cruz, and Andrés Hernández as strikers. Previously the national team had worn black and white striped jerseys and this was the first time they turned out in a blue strip. The team improved their performance over the previous competition to finish in third place as bronze medal winners. 

In 1938, the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol became affiliates of FIFA.  Once again the El Salvador national football team participated in the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games, hosted in Panama, which were won by Mexico with Costa Rica in second place. El Salvador won two games and lost three out of the five played. A match for third place between Colombia and El Salvador was scheduled but was cancelled due to the bad physical state of the players. El Salvador finished in fourth place by goal difference. 

1940s

On April 26, 1940, the first national football federation was approved, with Dr. Luis Rivas Palacios as president. In 1941, the first international competition in CONCACAF, the international governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, the Central American and Caribbean Championship (CCCF) took place in Costa Rica. El Salvador took part for the first time alongside Costa Rica, Curaçao, Nicaragua, and Panama. El Salvador were runners-up, recording two wins, one tie, and one loss.

The 1943 CCCF Championship took place in San Salvador with the participation of Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. El Salvador was coached by former national player Américo González. At the end of the tournament, El Salvador and Guatemala ended up with the same number of points and so had to play a tiebreaker. On December 21, Guatemala failed to show up for the match resulting in El Salvador declaring themselves 1943 CCCF Championship winners by goal difference. This was the country's first international title. El Salvador's 10‒1 set the team's record for the most goals scored in a single game yet . It was also the second time a Salvadoran player (Miguel "Americano" Cruz) had scored five goals in a single match. El Salvador defended their title in the 1946 CCCF Championship, hosted in Costa Rica, alongside six other participants. La Selecta finished in third place, winning three matches and losing two. In the 1948 CCCF Championship, hosted in Guatemala, Costa Rica won the championship for the third time, with El Salvador finishing in fifth place.

1950s

El Salvador not participate in qualification for the subsequent World Cups in 1954, 1958, 1962, and 1966. Reasons for these refusals are unknown but might be do to the cost of travel, since at that time the team had never played so far from home. During these years El Salvador had a good squad, with players like goalkeeper Manuel "Tamalón" Garay, Rafael "Chapuda" Reyes, Conrado Miranda, Miguel "Americano" Cruz, Rafael Corado and Mando Rivas.

In the group stage of the 1950 Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico, El Salvador recorded two wins, one tie, and one loss. They began the final round by beating Curaçao 3–1, but lost their other two matches leaving them in fifth place. In 1953, the El Salvador national football team took part in its fifth CCCF Championship, the 1953 CCCF Championship, hosted in Costa Rica, together with seven other national teams. Costa Rica became champions for the fourth time, and El Salvador finished in fifth place again.

At the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games El Salvador won their second international title under the direction of coach Carbilio Tomasino, with a team consisting of Yohalmo Aurora, Manuel "Tamalón" Garay, Hugo Moreno, Armando Larín, Luis Regalado, Conrado Miranda, Fernando Barrios, Ramón "Pezote" Chávez, José Hernández, Mario Montoya, Juan Francisco "Cariota" Barraza, Ricardo "Chilenito" Valencia, Alfredo "Baiza" Ruano, and Obdulio Hernández. They debuted against Colombia in a 2–2 tie, beat Cuba 3–1, beat Mexico 3–2 and finally beat Panama 1–0 with a goal by "Cariota" Barraza. The 3–2 victory against Mexico, with two goals from Mario Montoya (16',36') and one from Ricardo Valencia (37'), was the first victory by a Central American team against Mexico.

In the 1955 CCCF Championship, hosted in Honduras, Costa Rica crowned themselves champions for the fifth time with El Salvador finishing in 4th place. This marked the sixth time El Salvador participated in the CCCF Championship. For unknown reasons they didn't participate in the 1957 and 1960 CCCF Championships.

1960s

El Salvador returned to participate in the 1961 CCCF Championship, hosted in Costa Rica, alongside nine other national teams. Due to the larger number of teams the CCCF Championship shifted to a two round format with two round-robin group stages. In the first round, there were two groups, one with five teams and one with four. The top two teams from both groups advanced to the second stage. El Salvador was placed in the four team group Honduras, the Netherlands Antilles, and Nicaragua, which they topped with two wins and one draw. In the decisive round they finished in second place behind Costa Rica, who won their seventh CCCF Championship. Afterward the tournament was dissolved and replaced with the CONCACAF Championship.

The first CONCACAF Championship was hosted in 1963 and El Salvador hosted both the qualification round and final tournament. There were nine other participants, with the format the same as the final CCCF Championship. Costa Rica became the first CONCACAF champions, and El Salvador finished as runners-up. In 1964 Chilean Hernán Carrasco Vivanco, who would later revolutionize Salvadoran football, became coach of the national team. He led the national team for the first time at the 1965 CONCACAF Championship, hosted in Guatemala, where they won 2 games, tied 1 game, and lost two, finishing in fourth place. In 1966 the El Salvador football team took part in the Central American and Caribbean Games for the sixth time in a competition that took place in Puerto Rico. The national team participated alongside seven other teams, finishing in fourth place. In 1968 El Salvador qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time.  They lost 4–0 to Hungary,  3–1 to Israel,  and tied 1–1 with Ghana.  The coach by this time was Rigoberto Guzmán.

Gregorio Bundio and his assistant José Santacolomba coached the team in the qualifying stages for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time El Salvador participated in World Cup qualifying. As host, Mexico automatically qualified so there was just one qualification spot up for grabs. El Salvador won group 3, playing four games, winning three and losing one. Their record was 10 goals for and 5 goals against with 6 points. As a result, they qualified for a 3-game playoff against group 2 winner and traditional rival, Honduras. The first game, hosted on 8 June 1969 in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, was won 1–0 by the home team and was followed by crowd violence. The second game, hosted on 15 June 1969 in the Salvadoran capital of San Salvador, was won 3–0 by El Salvador, and was followed by even greater violence.  A play-off match took place in Mexico City on 26 June 1969. El Salvador won 3–2 after extra time. As a result of existing tensions being exacerbated by these matches, on 14 July 1969 the two countries began the a 100-hour-long war known as the Football War. As a result of the conflict, El Salvador and Honduras were both disqualified from entering the 1969 CONCACAF Championship qualification.

The final set of qualifying games for the 1970 World Cup took place against Haiti. The first leg was won by El Salvador in Haiti, 2–1, with goals from Elver Acevedo (43') and Mauricio 'Pipo' Rodríguez (62'). The second leg was lost 3–0. The playoff game on 8 October 1969 was won by El Salvador with a goal by Juan Ramón "Mon" Martínez (14' a.e.t.). Thus the El Salvador national football team qualified for their first World Cup, even though it was their first time attempting qualification.

"El Pajaro Picón Picón" was a Colombian song written by Eliseo Herrera which was very popular in El Salvador during the qualifying stages of the 1970 World Cup. During a radio show, Mauricio Bohorquez parodied the song, which he named "Arriba con la Selección". That parody became so famous that it became the "official anthem" of the El Salvador national football team. 

1970s

In the World Cup finals El Salvador was drawn into a group with Belgium, Mexico, and the Soviet Union. El Salvador lost their first game 3–0 to Belgium in Mexico City on June 3.  The second match was played against the host nation, Mexico, on 7 June. The game was decided by a controversial call near the end of the first half, with the score still at 0–0. Egyptian referee Hussain Kandil awarded a free kick to El Salvador in their own half. However, a Mexican player took the free-kick, passing to another Mexican player who scored. The Salvadoran players protested vigorously, to the extent of physically jostling Bermudan linesman Keith Dunstan, but the goal was allowed to stand. El Salvador restarted the game by kicking the ball into the crowd in protest. They eventually lost the game 4–0.  The team's third and final game occurred on June 10 with El Salvador losing 2–0 to the Soviet Union in Mexico City, to finish at the bottom of Group A with 0 points. 

El Salvador advanced from the first round of 1971 CONCACAF Championship qualification with an aggregate score of 4–2 against Nicaragua after home and away legs. In the second round, El Salvador withdrew from the playoff when they had to play against Honduras, meaning Honduras qualified by default. The national team also took part in the 1973 CONCACAF Championship qualification, which doubled as qualification for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, but they did not advance to the final stage after they were eliminated by Guatemala with an aggregate score of 0–2 (0–1, 0–1.)  The team was managed by Hector D'Angelo.

El Salvador participated at the Pan American Games for the first time in 1975 at the VII (7) Pan American Games, hosted in Mexico. The national team participated in a group that included Brazil, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. They debuted with a 4–1 win against Nicaragua on October 14 with 3 goals from "Pajarito" Huezo and the debut of Francisco "Paco" Jovel. Then they played against Brazil on the 15th and lost 0–2. They ended the tournament by playing against Costa Rica, where they tied 0–0, and wherein "Pelé" Zapata missed a penalty. They finished at third place in Group D, failing to advance to the next round. 

In 1977 CONCACAF Championship qualification La Selecta played against three other teams (Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama) in a home-and-away round-robin group. The top two finishers advanced final tournament. Guatemala won the group and El Salvador was runner–up. In the finals, hosted in Mexico, El Salvador played five games; they won two, drew one, and lost two. They finished in third place, below Haiti and Mexico (with the hosts winning the tournament.  El Salvador participated in the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games, hosted in Colombia, marking the seventh time El Salvador participated in this competition. For the fourth time, Cuba was crowned champions. El Salvador finished in ninth place.

1980s

El Salvador played four other teams (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama) in 1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification, once again in a home-and-away round-robin group with the top two teams advancing to the final tournament. El Salvador and Honduras finished top of the group with equal point. Honduras was acclaimed group winner by goal difference. Once again the finals would be doubling as World Cup qualification, this time for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. The format was one six–team group stage, with the first place team winning the tournament, and qualifying for the World Cup alongside the runner–up. Going into the final matches, with every team having played 4 matches out of five, El Salvador had 4 points and was in third place by goal difference, with Mexico (second place) and Canada (fourth place) both also having 4 points. Honduras led with 7 points, Cuba was in fifth with 3 points, and Haiti was last with 2 points. On 19 November 1981, in their final match El Salvador beat Haiti 1–0, their goal being a penalty kick taken by Norberto Huezo, bringing them to 6 points. On 21 November Canada tied with Cuba 2–2, eliminating both teams. In the decisive match on 22 November, Honduras tied with Mexico 0–0, meaning Honduras won the tournament and Honduras and El Salvador qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, the second (and last) time El Salvador qualified for the World Cup. The national team was under the direction of Mauricio "Pipo" Rodríguez. 

In 1982 El Salvador took a 20–man squad (two players short of the normal 22, as a controversial cost–saving measure), coached by the aforementioned Mauricio "Pipo" Rodríguez, to Spain. The team's experience was an unhappy one. In their first match on June 15 in Elche, they were defeated 10–1 by Hungary, a scoreline that stands as a World Cup record to this day.  A silver lining was that Luis Baltazar Ramírez Zapata scored the country's first World Cup goal during the game, albeit at a point when the Salvadorans were already down 5–0.   It was cold comfort however. When Zapata scored against Hungary, some Salvadorans cried out to Zapata not to celebrate the goal effusively because it might make the Hungarians mad and encourage them to score more. El Salvador managed to regain some pride in their subsequent games. Displaying much-improved levels of organisation and commitment, they lost 1–0 to Belgium on June 19 in Elche and 2–0 to the then-reigning world champions, Argentina, in Alicante on June 23.  

There were several reasons the tournament went so badly for El Salvador. First of all, El Salvador took 20 players to the World Cup, leaving behind Gilberto Quinteros and Miguel González. According to Luis Guevara Mora, goalkeeper of the team by that time, the Salvadoran Football Federation decided to take members of the Federation, as well as the friends and family of many members of the Federation, and spent so much money they couldn't afford to bring a full 22–man squad. Some fellow players tried to gather money to pay to bring their teammates but couldn't get enough. Further heightening controversy, the team took many detours and stops throughout Europe under the direction of the Federation, taking 3 days to arrive in Spain and were the last team to do so. Once arrived, there was more trouble. Adidas sent four white and three blue uniforms for each player, but mysteriously only three white and one blue arrived. The remaining uniforms were said to have been taken away by the association. They decided to play with the white uniform and keep the blue as a keepsake. Next, someone stole the balls that the team would train with. The day prior to the match against Hungary, the Hungarians had the 25 balls the organization had given them and trained with them while El Salvador had none and was unable to train. To make things even worse, El Salvador had never seen Hungary play. The only knowledge that they had about the team was a lone outdated video that they had bought. On the field there were more problems. Hungary's fourth goal was caused by Francisco Jovel's sudden deafness. Jovel had received a heavy blow on the cheek and almost could not hear. So when Guevara Mora cried off to stop a ball, the defender did not hear him. Mora attempted to pass to Jovel, but Jovel wasn't looking and the ball went past him and went straight in front of the net. The Hungarian player only had to tap it in. After the match, the Salvadoran squad had a tense meeting with the coaching staff and Federation. The coach was dismissed immediately and the following matches against Belgium and Argentina were managed by players Jovel, Huezo and Fagoaga. Although the tournament overall was a big disappointment, there were also several bright spots. Jorge "Mágico" González was considered by the national and international press as the best player. "Mágico" González stayed in Spain after the tournament and played for Cádiz CF and Real Valladolid. Ricardo Guevara Mora, the goalkeeper, was the youngest player to play at the 1982 FIFA World Cup at 20 years old.

In 1985 CONCACAF Championship qualification, El Salvador and 15 other teams were paired up to play two-leg home-and-away knockout matches. La Selecta was drawn against Puerto Rico, won 8–0 on aggregate (5–0, 3–0) to qualify for the final tournament. They were placed in a three–person group with Honduras and Suriname with the top team advancing  They finished second in the group with 5 points (2 won, 1 tied, 1 lost.) Honduras won the group with 6 points (2 won, 2 tied.) In 1989 CONCACAF Championship qualification they eliminated the Netherlands Antilles 6–0 on aggregate (1–0, 5–0). The final tournament was held in a different format than before, now functioning as one large five–team round–robin group. El Salvador finished last, with just 2 points.

1990s

At a CONCACAF congress, held in Guatemala on 26 January 1991, a new tournament, called the UNCAF Nations Cup, was conceived for Central America teams. The inaugural tournament was hosted in 1991, hosted by Costa Rica. The tournament also doubled as qualification for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, a new tournament which replaced the CONCACAF Championship.   In qualification, La Selecta defeated Nicaragua with an aggregate score of 5–2 (3–2, 2–0) and advanced to the final tournament. In the finals, they played three games, drawing one and losing two, finishing in last place and failing to advance to the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 1993 UNCAF Nations Cup once again served as qualification to the Gold Cup, this time for the 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup.  For this tournament, La Selecta advanced to the final tournament automatically. There they played three games, once again drawing one and losing two and once again finished last and failed to advance to the 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They were coached by Jorge Vieira.

In 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador eliminated Nicaragua 10–1 on aggregate (5–0, 5–1) in the first round, then finished first in a group composed of Bermuda (0–1 and 4–1), Canada (1–1 and 3–2), and Jamaica (2–0, 2–1) in the second round. In the decisive third round just four team were left (Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico.) They were placed in a round–robin group with home–and–away legs. The top team advanced directly to the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the second placed team advanced to a playoff vs. a team from OFC. El Salvador began with a historic and vital win against Mexico at home, but went on to lost their next four games, including losing twice to Canada. They managed to win their final game, 2–1 against rivals Honduras at home, but it was too late. Qualification was impossible. They finished third in the group.

El Salvador hosted the  1995 UNCAF Nations Cup. The tournament switched formats to a two round system, with two three–team groups in the first round, with two teams advancing from each group, and a knockout style competition for the remaining four teams. El Salvador was placed in a group with Costa Rica and Belize. They topped the group with 2 wins and faced Guatemala in the knockout round, where they lost 0–1. They won the third place match against Costa Rica 2–1 and thus advanced to the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup along with Guatemala and tournament winners Honduras.  This was their first appearance at the Gold Cup. At the finals of the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup, El Salvador was placed in a group with Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. They defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3–2, with goals from Raúl Díaz Arce (34', 72' (pen.)) and Ronald Cerritos (50') in their first game but lost 2–0 to the United States, and thus did not advance from the first round.  

At the 1997 UNCAF Nations Cup, hosted in Guatemala using a two–round two–group–stage system, El Salvador was drawn into a group with Honduras and Panama. La Selecta lost 3–0 to Honduras in their first match but defeated Panama 2–0 in their second. In the second group stage they finished in third place, losing to Guatemala 0–1, Costa Rica 0–1, and drawing Honduras 0–0. They finished in third, with 1 point. They advanced to the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, hosted in the United States. El Salvador were coached by Kiril Dojcinovski. At the Gold Cup, El Salvador was drawn into a group with Brazil, Guatemala, and Jamaica. They tied Guatemala 0–0 and lost to Brazil 0–4 and Jamaica 0–2. 

In 1988 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador received a by to the third round, where they were drawn into a group with Canada, Cuba, and Panama. They finished second behind Canada and advanced to the final round. The final round, commonly referred to as "The Hexagonal", was a six–team group stage with the top 3 teams advancing to the 1998 FIFA World Cup. El Salvador finished in fifth place with 2 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses. This was the closest to qualifying for a World Cup the team got since the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which created great excitement among the fans in El Salvador. At the 1999 UNCAF Nations Cup, hosted in Costa Rica with the same format as the previous tournament, El Salvador was drawn into a group with Guatemala and Nicaragua.  El Salvador tied Guatemala 1–1 and defeated Nicaragua 1–0, with goals from Magdonio Corrales. In the second group stage, they lost to Honduras 1–3, Guatemala 0–1, and Costa Rica 0–4 to finish in fourth place with 0 points, and failed to advance to the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They were coached by Mario Peres Ulibarri.  Costa Rica won the tournament.

2000s

2002 FIFA World Cup qualification began on March 5, 2000 for El Salvador. For the first round El Salvador was drawn into a home–and–away round–robin group with Belize and Guatemala. The top team advanced to the next round and the second placed team advanced to a play–off. They kicked off their campaign with a 5–0 home win against Belize and eventually topped the group with 3 wins and 1 draw. In the second round they were drawn into a group with Honduras, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The top two teams advanced to the final round (The Hexagonal). El Salvador finished third  and crashed out.  This is identified as the start of a decline in Salvadoran football.

The same format as the 1997 and 1999 editions was used at the 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup, hosted in Honduras. In the first round, El Salvador was drawn into a group with Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. El Salvador topped the group, defeating Nicaragua 3–0, Panama 2–1, and tying Honduras 1–1. In the second and final round they drew all their games to finish in third and advance to the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They were coached by Carlos Recinos. Guatemala won the tournament for the first time. El Salvador was still coached by Recinos for the 2002 Gold Cup. They were drawn into Group A alongside Guatemala and Mexico. El Salvador lost to Mexico 0–1, but defeated Guatemala 1–0, with a goal from Santos Cabrera (58'.) For the first time they advanced to the quarter-finals of a Gold Cup. On January 27, they lost to eventual champions United States by a score of 0–4. 

At the 2003 UNCAF Nations Cup, hosted in Panama, El Salvador managed to get third place again, with Juan Ramón Paredes as head coach. In the tournament El Salvador won against Panama 2–1, lost against Costa Rica 0–1, defeated Nicaragua 3–0, defeated Honduras 1–0, and lost against Guatemala 0–2. They qualified for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup alongside Guatemala and Costa Rica (Honduras went to the playoffs). Costa Rica won the tournament (the fourth time they'd done so.) At the 2003 Gold Cup El Salvador was drawn into Group C with Martinique and the United States. El Salvador lost to the United States 0–2 in their first match on July 11. However, in their second, played on July 16, they defeated Martinique 1–0 with a goal from defender Marvin González (76'.) For the second time, they had advanced to the quarter-finals of a Gold Cup, this time to face Costa Rica. On July 19, they lost the match 2–5. Three of the seven goals were penalty kicks.  Thus, El Salvador went out in the quarter-finals again.

The 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification process and 2005 UNCAF Nations Cup (hosted in Guatemala) were both huge disasters for El Salvador. In the former they received a by to the second round where they inched past Bermuda 4–3 on aggregate (2–1, 2–2.) In the third round they were drawn into a home–and–away round–robin group with Jamaica, Panama, and the United States. El Salvador finished last in the group with just 4 points from 6 games.  In the 2005 UNCAF Nations Cup they failed to advance past the first round after losing against Panama 0–1 and Costa Rica 1–2. This mean they also failed to qualify for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They were coached by Carlos Cavagnaro. 

El Salvador hosted the 2007 UNCAF Nations Cup. The tournament changed formats, now to a two–round system with a group stage followed by a knockout–style competition for the remaining four teams. There were still two groups and the top two teams still advanced from each group for the first round. El Salvador topped their group wins wins over Belize (2–1), Nicaragua (2–1), and a draw with Guatemala (0–0.) In the semifinals El Salvador lost to the eventual champions Costa Rica 0–1. In the third place playoff they lost 0–1 to Guatemala but nonetheless qualified for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup (as now 5 Central American teams qualified for the Gold Cup.) The team was coached by Carlos de los Cobos.  At the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup they were drawn into four–team Group B with Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. They defeated Trinidad and Tobago 2–1 in their opening match with goals from Ramón Sánchez (38') and Dennis Alas (81'), but this was their only win of the tournament. They lost the following two matches against Guatemala 0–1 and United States 0–4 and exited the tournament. 

On June 16, 2007, a rematch was scheduled between El Salvador and Hungary, the latter of which had delivered the biggest defeat to El Salvador in the national team's history. Many of the same players that had played the match between El Salvador and Hungary in the 1982 FIFA World Cup played again at the Estadio Cuscatlán. The stadium that filled 22,000 spectators saw a match tied at 2–2 with goals from Lázár Szentes and Ferenc Csongrádi for Hungary and two goals from Luis Ramírez Zapata for El Salvador. 

In the 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup, hosted in Honduras, El Salvador was drawn into a group with Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They defeated Belize 4–1, tied against Nicaragua 1–1 with an own-goal, and lost to Honduras 0–2. This gave them second place in the group and qualified them for the semifinals. There, the team faced Costa Rica. However, the games was called off after 60 minutes of play (with Costa Rica leading 1–0) when El Salvador was reduced to six players. Two El Salvador players, Alexander Escobar and Eliseo Quintanilla, were awarded red cards in the first half, while Deris Umanzor, Rodolfo Zelaya, and goalkeeper Juan José Gómez were injured and had to leave the game after El Salvador had already exhausted their three substitutions. The game was awarded 3–0 to Costa Rica. In the third place playoff, Honduras earned a win over La Selecta with the only goal scored by Roger Espinoza (30').  At the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, El Salvador were in Group A alongside Canada, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. They debuted against Costa Rica, winning 2–1 with El Salvador's goals scored by Osael Romero in the 19th and 85th minute. However, they lost their games against Canada and Jamaica, both matches 1–0. The team was still coached by Carlos de los Cobos. 

2010s

In 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador was drawn against Anguilla in a two–leg home–and–away knockout format, winning 12–0 and 0–4 to easily advance. In the next round, La Selecta was drawn against Panama. Despite being considered underdogs, the team prevailed, reversing a 0–1 away loss with a 3–1 home win. In the third round, the format changed to a home–and–away round–robin group stage. They were drawn against Costa Rica, Haiti, and Suriname. They finished second in the group and advanced alongside Costa Rica to the final round, "The Hexagonal". Despite some promising initial results, such as drawing the United States and winning against Mexico, El Salvador eventually finished in fifth place and was eliminated. Rudis Corrales was the team's top goalscorer in qualification with 8 goals. 

On 11 May 2010 the FIFA Emergency Committee suspended the Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) on account of government interference. This decision by FIFA was based on the fact that the statutes ratified by the FESFUT general assembly in August 2009 had not been formally entered in the country's official register, and that the government had failed to acknowledge the authority of the Normalisation Committee set up to represent FESFUT.  Consequently, FIFA considered that it was not possible for FESFUT to organise the general assembly in line with the action plan that had been drawn up, and suspended FESFUT. For the suspension to be lifted, Salvadoran authorities needed to recognize the legitimacy of the Normalisation Committee of the Salvadoran Football Association. The suspension was lifted by May 28. By FIFA lifting the suspension, La Selecta was once again allowed to participate in international tournaments at both club and national levels. El Salvador's under-21 team qualified for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) tournament in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. However, CONCACAF decided to suspend football at the 2010 CAC shortly thereafter. El Salvador was also able to participate in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 Summer Olympics. 

The 2011 Copa Centroamericana, the new name of the reorganized UNCAF Nations Cup, used the same two–round system as the previous tournament, with a round–robin group stage in the first round, followed by a knockout style competition for the remaining four teams. El Salvador was drawn into a group with Belize, Nicaragua, and Panama. La Selecta defeated Nicaragua 2–0, Belize 5–2, and lost 2–0 against Panama, which was enough to let them advance from the group in second place. In the semifinals they lost to Honduras, again by a 2–0 score. In the third place match, they faced Panama again, losing in a penalty shootout 4–5 after a 0–0 draw. This performance was enough to qualify El Salvador for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The team was coached by José Luis Rugamas. Forward Rafael Burgos jointly received the Golden Boot with Costa Rica's Marco Ureña three goals. 

In April 2011, two months before the start of the Gold Cup, José Luis Rugamas was replaced as coach by Rubén Israel, who introduced a new system and spirit into the team.  At the 2011 Gold Cup, El Salvador was drawn into a group with Costa Rica, Cuba, and powerhouses Mexico. Despite losing 5–0 to Mexico,  a dramatic 1–1 draw with Costa Rica (where Rodolfo Zelaya scored a 25-yard free kick opener at 45' and Costa Rica equalized at 90+5 ) and a 6–1 win over Cuba were enough to send El Salvador to the knockout stage.   This was the first time El Salvador had reached the knockout stage of a Gold Cup since the 2003 edition. In the quarter finals they faced Panama. The game ended in a 1–1 draw, with Panama controversially equalizing at 89' when striker Luis Tejada weaved between several defenders and drove a ball that was caught by goalkeeper Miguel Montes. This was controversial for two reasons. One, there was confusion as to whether the shot from Tejada was with his head or his hand. Two, it was unclear whether the ball had crossed the line. Eventually, referee Wálter Quesada ruled that Montes caught the ball behind the goal line thus tying the game at 1–1 in the last minute of regular time. Coach Rubén Israel called the decision an "error of haste."  Panama won the ensuing penalty shootout 5–3. 

In 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, El Salvador received a bye to the second round. There, they were drawn into a home-and-away round-robin group with the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, and Suriname. La Selecta won their first match, against the Dominican Republic, 3–2 with goals scored by Rodolfo Zelaya (54', 77') and Christian Javier Bautista (63'), but left many doubts about their performance.  El Salvador, however, convincingly won their next match, against the Cayman Islands, 1–4 with goals from Christian Bautista (50') and defenders Luis Anaya (63', 80') and Xavier García (90+3')  before winning the return leg against the Dominican Republic 1–2. Although El Salvador received the necessary 3 points, the performance of the team was not as expected.  La Selecta demonstrated more skill in their 4–0 in their home match against the Cayman Islands. The goals were scored by Víctor Turcios (5'), Steve Purdy (12'), Jaime Alas (44') and Herbert Sosa (pen. 88'). The last was the 1000th goal scored in the history of the El Salvador national football team.  After that, they easily won their remaining games to complete the second round with a perfect record of six wins in six matches.

With six wins in six matches, the Uruguayan coach Rubén Israel qualified the football team of El Salvador for the third round for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF). Fallen into the same group as Mexico, Costa Rica and Guyana, El Salvador heroic snatched a draw in San José (Costa Rica) (after being 2–0 down to score) on 8 Jun 2012. Four days later, a home defeat against Mexico (1–2) precipitated the departure of Rubén Israel whose poor relations with Jaime Rodríguez, president of the National Institute of Sport Salvador (INDES) were known all.
Salvadoran Football Association (FESFUT) under pressure following the surprise resignation of Rubén Israel, named the Mexican Juan de Dios Castillo at the head of the selection July 14, 2012.
Despite a good start (1–0 in a friendly match against Guatemala after 10 years of failure against this opponent), a draw conceded at Estadio Cuscatlán in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF), facing a modest Guyana national football team (2–2) earned him the wrath of the public. A victory in extremis (2–3) at Georgetown, Guyana (with a penalty stopped by goalkeeper Dagoberto Portillo in additional time) allowed El Salvador to stay in the race for qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Unfortunately the home defeat (0–1) against Costa Rica buried the hopes of qualifying for the national team. Juan de Dios Castillo was removed from office in November 2012 and replaced on December 17 by the Peruvian Agustín Castillo, five national champion with C.D. FAS.
Against all odds, El Salvador finished 3rd in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana mean qualification for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the USA in July when El Salvador shares the same group as Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti.

Match fixing

The national team had accusations of several players purposely losing matches on purpose in exchange for monetary rewards. Some of these allegations involved games against Venezuela, Mexico, USA, and Costa Rica. After an investigation, 14 players were handed immediate lifetime bans from football on September 20, 2013. Those players were Luis Anaya, Osael Romero, Ramón Sánchez, Christian Castillo, Miguel Granadino, Miguel Montes, Dagoberto Portillo, Dennis Alas, Darwin Bonilla, Ramón Flores, Alfredo Pacheco, José Mardoqueo Henríquez, Marvin González, and Reynaldo Hernández. Carlos Monteagudo received a ban of 18 months. Eliseo Quintanilla and Víctor Turcios received 6 month bans. Alexander Escobar, Christian Sánchez, and U-20 goalkeeper Yimmy Cuellar received a ban of 30 days. Other players were forced to go through the investigation for 20 more days. After the 20 day investigation, Rodrigo Martínez was sentenced to a ban of 5 years, Rodolfo Zelaya to a ban of one year, and Benji Villalobos to a ban of 6 months.

FIFA World Cup record

El Salvador has never advanced beyond the first round of the finals competition. El Salvador declined to participate at the 1950 FIFA World Cup.

 Source: 

CONCACAF Championships record

In 1963 El Salvador participated in the first CONCACAF Championship which included all countries of the region, North America, Central America and the Caribbean. During 1963 to 1971 only 5 championships were played. El Salvador achieving only a runner-up in 1963. From 1973 to 1989 no championship was played. The CONCACAF proclaimed champion of the region for the country that achieved the first place in qualifying to the FIFA World Cup. In 1990, CONCACAF again created a tournament as its showpiece event to crown the regional champion of the CONCACAF. The event was named the CONCACAF Gold Cup, with the USA hosting the first competition in 1991. In the 2002, 2003, and 2011 events El Salvador reached the Quarter-finals.

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

 Sources:  

Other tournament records

;Copa Centroamericana
The tournament has been held since 1991 as the UNCAF Nations Cup and serves as a qualifying event for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The competition was re-branded as the Copa Centroamericana from the 2011 edition. El Salvador has participated in all of the tournaments and has managed to get up to third place in various occasions.

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

 Source: 

;Central American and Caribbean Games
*  1930 – Fourth Place
*  1935 –  Bronze Medal 
*  1938 – Fourth Place
*  1946 – Did not qualify
*  1950 – Fourth Place
*  1954 –  Gold Medal
*  1959 – Did not qualify
*  1962 – Did not qualify
*  1966 – Fourth Place
*  1970 – Did not qualify
*  1974 – Did not qualify
*  1978 – Round 1
* 1982 – 1993 – Did not qualify
*  1998 – Fifth Place
*  2002 –  Gold Medal
*  2006 – Quarterfinals
*  2014 – Round 1
 Source: 

;CCCF Championship record
The El Salvador national football team have competed in the CCCF Championship in seven occasions. El Salvador won the 1943 CCCF Championship, their only championship in the competition. El Salvador were runners-up in the editions of 1941 and 1961.

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

 Source: 

;Olympic Games record
The El Salvador national football team have competed in the Olympics on one occasion; the 1968 games. They reached the first round of the competition.
* 1900 to 1964 – Did not enter
*  1968 – Round 1
* 1972 to 2012 – Did not qualify
 Source: 

;Pan American Games record
* 1951 to 1971 – Did not enter
*  1975 – Round 1
* 1979 to 1983 – Did not enter
*  1987 – Round 1
* 1991 to 2011 – Did not enter

;Central American Games
*  1973 –  Bronze Medal
*  1977 –  Gold Medal
*  1986 – Fourth Place
*  1990 – Did not Participate
*  1994 –  Silver Medal
*  1997 – Fourth Place
*  2001 – Round 1
*  2013 –  Bronze Medal

Stadium

El Salvador's current national stadium is the Estadio Cuscatlán which saw its first game in 1976. Before the opening of the Estadio Cuscatlán the national stadium was the Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca (now known as Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González).

During El Salvador's early run of existence, the team's national stadium was the Campo Marte, a 16 acre of land that housed a ministadium, (now known as Parque Infantil) between 1928 and 1934.  Succeeding, El Salvador played at the Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca (now known as Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González) in San Salvador, El Salvador. It was first built on 19 April 1932 during the presidency of Maximiliano Hernández Martínez in preparation for the 1935 Central American and Caribbean Games. On 24 March 1935 El Salvador played its first game at the Flor Blanca against Cuba and won 4–1.  El Salvador played at this stadium for the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification, and accomplished to qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. A one-off hame was played at the stadium to commemorate a major refurbishment, it was the last time El Salvador played a game in the stadium, on 15 November 2000, against Jamaica in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification process.

In 1969, EDESSA (Estadios Deportivos de El Salvador Sociedad Anonima) first proposed the idea of a new national stadium.  This came to fruition when the construction of the new national stadium, the Estadio Cuscatlán, began on March 24, 1971, with then-president of El Salvador, General Fidel Sánchez Hernández, breaking ground. There were options for the name such of that of San Salvador, Fraternidad, and Cuscatlán but, of course, was named Cuscatlán. After 5 years of construction, the stadium was opened and held its very first game on July 24, 1976, in a friendly match. The game saw German Bundesliga champions Borussia Mönchengladbach play the El Salvador national football team, with the match ending in a 2–0 victory to the German side. The German squad featured 1974 FIFA World Cup champions, such as Berti Vogts, Rainer Bonhof, Wolfgang Kleff and Jupp Heynckes. Also Allan Simonsen, who eventually won the 1977 Ballon d'Or and later form part of FC Barcelona. El Salvador aligned itself with Tomás Pineda (Mauricio "Tarzán" Alvarenga), Guillermo "Billy" Rodríguez Bou, Ramón Fagoaga, Humberto "Imacasa" Recinos, Eduardo "Conejo" Valdés, Víctor "Pato" Valencia, Warner Solís, Félix "Garrobita" Pineda (César "Piscucha" Acevedo), Luis "Pelé" Ramírez Zapata (Abraham Coreas) & Ismael "Cisco" Díaz (David Cabrera). While Borussia played with Wolfgang Kneib, Hans-Jürgen Wittkamp, Berti Vogts, Horst Wohlers, Dietmar Danner, Hans Klinkhammer, Carsten Nielsen, Uli Stielike, Jupp Heynckes and Allan Simonsen.   Since that match, El Salvador has used the stadium for almost every major home game, and it is the official home stadium of the El Salvador national football team and the Salvadoran club Alianza FC.   On May 25, 1978, EDESSA agreed to sign a 99-year lease of the stadium to CLIMA (Asociación de Clubes de Liga Mayor A) to operate and control which events are held there.

The Estadio Cuscatlán also features the following specifications:

* A 45,925 capacity.
* 15 entrances to the stadium.
* 10 ticket offices available for ticket sales.
* A irrigation system and French drain.
* 4 fully equipped dressing rooms and a gymnasium.
* A large 50 m2 LCD screen of high definition.
* 6 robotic cameras strategically placed at the stadium for the transmission on the large screen.
* Internal sound system with Dolby Digital Surround.
* 16 booths for radio and television transmission.
* 3 electronic lighting towers, which have their north and south towers with 22 beacons and in the center with 24 beacons and 10 halogen lamps each.
* Parking for 8,500 cars.

Schedule and results

The following is El Salvador's schedule and results for the 2016 season.

;Key

2016

Kit

El Salvador's traditional first kit colour is blue with white trim, their second kit being white with blue trim. The current home and away kit features the traditional colours with the exception of bold curved trims that run from the center of the neck and open to the sides, forming two panels on the chest that contain the Mitre logo and emblem of the Salvadoran Football Federation. At the center of the kit the Salvadoran national emblem, once again, is shown. The right sleeve shows the national flag. 

El Salvador and Mitre announced a new partnership in 2008 that saw them supply the Central American national football team with home and away kits, training, and bench wear until August 2010. Mitre, and their Panamanian partner, The Harari Group, designed the kit that El Salvador used. The kit was showcased by the team on February 11, 2009 as they started their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF (Central-American Football Union) Hexagonal Cup.  On October 22, 2010, the FESFUT extended the contract with Mitre by four years.  The first home and away kit made by Mitre feature a watermark of the country's national shield on the center of the shirt and some horizontal stripes along the kit. The current kit featured white remains along the neck, at the bottom of the kit, and over the shoulders. When this kit was introduced in 2009 it also introduced a new logo that replaced the typical logo of an "E"  and an "S" surrounded by a circle. 

Players

Current squad

The following 18 players were called up for the friendly matches against Peru and Armenia on May 28 and June 1, 2016.
Caps and goals as of June 1, 2016 after the game against Armenia.  

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up to the El Salvador squad in the last 12 months.

Top ten appearances

Top ten goal scorers

Last updated: September 4, 2015.  Source:RSSSF 

Coaching staff

Coaches

Since the creation of the national team in 1921, several coaches have been in charge of managing El Salvador. From 1930 to 1935, Mark Scott Thompson was appointed as El Salvador's first ever manager. , the El Salvador national football team has presented itself with 60 managers in the national team. It is reported that all 3 titles (1943,  1954  and 2002 ) have been won by Salvadoran born managers. Conrado Miranda has managed in 4 different occasions and Armando Contreras Palma in 3. Chilean Hernán Vivanco was manager when El Salvador competed at their first World Cup.  Mauricio Rodríguez managed to qualify El Salvador to another World Cup. Rodiguez participated at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

Source:

Records and honors

El Salvador were the first Central American team to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, in 1970, and the first Central American team to qualify twice which they achieved with entry into the 1982 World Cup. They were the first Central American team to ever score a goal in a FIFA World Cup on June 15, 1982. They were the first Central American country to qualify their football team to the Olympic Games (Mexico 1968). They were the first Central American team to sign up for a World Cup qualifier (France 1938). They were the first Central American team to be champions of the Central American and Caribbean Games (Mexico 1954). They were also the first Central American team to organize the Central American and Caribbean Games (1935) and the first ever CONCACAF Championship (1963). El Salvador were also the first Central American team to beat Mexico in Mexico City; by a score of 3–2 at the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games. Scorers of that game are as follows: Mario Montoya 16' (0–1), Antonio Jasso 27' (1–1), Mario Montoya 36' (1–2), Ricardo Valencia 37' (1–3), Rafael Gutierrez 64' (2–3). The 1st goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by Joel Estada on 12 December 1968 against Dutch Guiana. The 50th goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by Ever Hernández in a 1–0 victory—on 2 December 1981—against Mexico. The 100th goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by Jorge "Mágico" González on 2 May 1993 against Canada. The 150th goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by Víctor Velásquez in a 2–1 victory—on 13 June 2004—against Bermuda. The 200th goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by defender Xavier García in a 4–1 victory—on 6 September 2011—against the Cayman Islands. 

;Honours
* CONCACAF Championship / CONCACAF Gold Cup
** Runner-up (2): 1963,  1981 
** Third place (1): 1977 
* UNCAF Nations Cup
** Third place (5): 1995,  1997,  2001,  2003  2013
* Central American and Caribbean Games
** Gold Medal (2): 1954, 2002
** Third place (1): 1935 
* CCCF Championship
** Winner (1): 1943
** Runner-up (2): 1941,  1961
Arxintina Argintina Argentyna آرژانتین República Argentina Land of silver Argentina ארגנטינה Arghantina Republica Argentina Argentine republic Аргентына Nación Argentina Argentinien Nacion Argentina Argie アルゼンチン Airgintín Аржентина Argentína Argentine Republic Argentīna Argentinean Argentiina The Argentine Republic Arxentina Արգենտինա Arc'hantina Argies Antonia Merce Y Luque People of Argintina ISO 3166-1:AR Argentinië אַרגענטינע Arjantin अर्जेन्टीना الأرجنتين Argentina Information Republic of Argentina Ariannin Argentina Republic Argentinie Argentinia Airgintin Argjentina
arxentina argentina information argentinie nacion argentina argentyna people of argintina argjentina republica argentina antonia merce y luque argentína arc hantina ariannin argies argentinean airgintín argentīna iso 3166 1 ar arjantin república argentina argentinien արգենտինա airgintin nación argentina argentinia argentina arxintina アルゼンチン republic of argentina argentina republic אַרגענטינע argintina अर्जेन्टीना argentine republic argentiina آرژانتین аргентына arghantina argie аржентина argentinië ארגנטינה الأرجنتين land of silver
argentina
WikipediaEntity
Argentina
 In February 19th, 80th, Roberto Emoree's,  became President of which South America,  country. 

 Roberto President of the robotic President is the Rodrigo a and the city of the mind I very unconventional such expected as it is it reached a fictional or meaningful and body the of the other and how to a different name or something in many author to President since