Álvaro O’Byrne submitted his resignation as executive director of the Municipal Works Directorate (DOM)the official will be in his position until June 15.
The resignation was accepted by President Nayib Bukele on May 22, according to the publication in the Official Gazette, and Juan Carlos Bidegaín Hananía, Minister of the Interior and Territorial Development, was also notified of it.
The Nayib Bukele government, focused on celebrating its fourth year in power, had not made O’byrne’s resignation public.
The DOM was created in April 2021 by President Bukele, with the aim of “centralizing” the administration of municipal works and having control over the funds that are allocated to works in the country’s municipalities.
The DOM has focused on patching and repairing streets, but has neglected other key components in the communities, such as mitigation works, social projects, park maintenance, scholarship programs, etc., as expressed and criticized by mayors of different political flags since the end of 2021, including the official Nuevas Ideas.
Likewise, the DOM was given the responsibility of building the new Rosales Hospital in mid-2022, despite not having experienced personnel in these specialized buildings, such as a third-level medical center.
The DOM is also in charge of the reconstruction of the Mercado San Miguelito, after the fire that destroyed this important supply center of San Salvador in September 2021.