Mauricio Funes is a Salvadoran politician who served as president of his country, as a member of the left-wing socialist ‘FarabundoMartí National Liberation Front’ (FMLN) party. In school he studied communications with a focus on the audio visual aspect, but left university before earning his degree when his eldest brother became a victim of the Salvadoran Civil War. After leaving school, Funes began his career as a popular television reporter and personality, and reported on political events for several Spanish language channels broadcast both in El Salvador and internationally. During this time he developed his left leaning philosophies and began to use his position as a television reporter to criticize the actions of the right-wing political party in power. Despite harsh censorship and other opposition, he continued to rise in popularity for his vocal support of the working class. He ran for president and defeated the right wing incumbent, peacefully taking control of the government in a political system usually well known for violent exchanges of power. During his presidency Funes established policies that brought about social and economic reform in many ways, including public health care and a reduced crime rate. However, he had difficulty enacting his plans in a divided legislature, and ended his term amid strong accusations of corruption and deceit