Salvadoran ex-rebels lead in presidential election

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- El Salvador's former guerrillas, behind the face of a former TV journalist, took a slim lead in presidential elections Sunday that threaten to oust conservatives who have ruled since a civil war, early official returns showed.

Mauricio Funes, chosen from outside the ranks of the rebel group-turned-political party Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, would become the latest in a wave of leftist leaders to take power in Latin America at a time of uncertainty as to how Obama will approach the region.

With 33 percent of the vote counted, Funes had 51 percent compared to 49 percent for Rodrigo Avila of the ruling conservative Arena party, said Walter Araujo, president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

Jubilant red-clad Funes supporters poured into the streets of San Salvador, whooping, clapping, blowing whistles and waving large party flags.

Funes, 49, promises to crack down on big businesses that he says exploit government complacency to evade taxes. He hopes to capitalize on discontent with two decades of Arena party rule that have brought economic growth but done little to redress social inequalities.

Avila, 44, a former police chief, is trying to bring Arena to its fifth straight presidential victory. He warns that an FMLN victory would send El Salvador down a communist path and threaten the country's warm relations with the U.S.

Those ties saw El Salvador keep troops in Iraq longer than any other Latin American country and become a hub of regional cooperation with Washington against drug trafficking.

The country's economy depends on billions of dollars sent home by 2.5 million Salvadorans who live in the U.S.

The Obama government has assured Salvadorans it will work with any leader elected -- a marked departure from the Bush administration, which in 2004 suggested that an FMLN victory would hurt ties.

But U.S ties with some leftist leaders remain tense, including Venezuela's fiery Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who lashed out last week at the United States for holding back aid over an election dispute.

Funes has met with top U.S. officials and hopes to start off relations fresh if he becomes Latin America's first leftist president since Obama took office.

He promises to respect a free trade agreement with the United States and keep El Salvador's dollar currency. He also has made a point of reaching out to Latin America's moderate leftist leaders, especially Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

That has not reassured many Salvadorans with bitter memories of a 12-year civil war that left 75,000 people dead. Television broadcasts have been flooded with campaign ads warning that a Funes victory would turn El Salvador into a Venezuelan satellite and emphasizing long-standing ties between the FMLN and Chavez.

"We don't want communists in this country," said Jose Daniel Avila, a 65-year-old retired pilot of no relation to the candidate. "Look what has happened in Nicaragua and Venezuela. Those are not examples to follow."

Chavez said Sunday his government is not taking sides in the election, adding that Venezuela wants to broaden its relations with whoever wins.

Many Salvadorans want change after two decades of Arena rule. Fuel and food prices have soared, while powerful gangs extort businesses and fight for drug-dealing turf, resulting in one of Latin America's highest homicides rates.

"What has Arena brought us in 20 years? They've only come to power to steal. Only the oligarchs are going to vote for Arena so they can protect their privileges," said Humberto Chavez, 73, a retired school teacher, talking over a woman standing next to him, who shook her finger and kept exclaiming, "That's not true!"

Avila has tried to address these mounting frustrations, promising 50,000 subsidized homes and incentives for companies that hire young workers.

Voting ended peacefully and ballot counting began Sunday evening. The capital quieted after supporters of both sides spent hours driving around in trucks waving party flags, honking and chanting.

After casting his ballot, Funes reiterated concerns that the government could try to steal the election by bringing in foreigners to vote. But President Tony Saca, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a second term, said he was confident the presence of international observers would guarantee a fair election.

"The result is going to be close," he said.