Christian Democratic Party (El Salvador)

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The Christian Democratic Party (Partido Demócrata Cristiano, PDC) is a Salvadoran political party that follows Christian democracy. It sits in the center to center-left and uses green as its color with a fish logo (ichthys). The party is led by Reinaldo Carballo (since 2023) and its headquarters are in San Salvador.

Name changes
- From 2011 to 2012, the party was called the Party of Hope (Partido de la Esperanza, PES) before returning to the Christian Democratic Party.

A brief history
- Founded in 1960 by middle- and upper-class activists to push for reform and political stability against the military government.
- In 1961, some members left to form the National Conciliation Party (PCN), which became the military’s ruling party.
- During the 1960s–70s, the PDC opposed the military regimes and faced electoral fraud by the PCN.
- In 1980, after a coup, the PDC joined the Revolutionary Government Junta. José Napoleón Duarte (a PDC founder) later became president in 1984.
- The PDC was a major party in the 1980s Civil War era, even holding a legislative majority in 1985, but corruption scandals and war weariness hurt its influence.
- By the late 1980s and 1990s, the PDC declined as ARENA and other parties rose.
- The party faced disbandment issues in 2004–2011 but kept its registration; it was briefly renamed PES in 2011–2012 and then restored as the PDC in 2012.
- In 2019, the PDC joined the Alliance for a New Country with ARENA, the PCN, and others to run for president, finishing second to Nayib Bukele.
- In 2021, the PDC lost seats and influence as Nuevas Ideas won a large majority; the PDC’s sole legislative member aligned with the governing coalition.
- Ahead of the 2024 elections, the PDC decided not to nominate a presidential candidate and stated it would support Bukele’s re-election.

What the party looks like today
- Ideology: Christian democracy; positioned center to center-left.
- Symbols: Green color and the ichthys logo.
- Leadership and organization: Led by a secretary-general (Reinaldo Carballo since 2023), with a deputy secretary-general, a national syndicate, and an eight-member political commission.
- Seats:
- Legislative Assembly: 1 of 60
- Municipalities: 4 of 44
- PARLACEN: 1 of 20
- Headquarters: Alameda Juan Pablo II and Once Avenue Norte Bis Número 507, San Salvador.