Defense decorates Salvadoran captain for academic excellence in Mexico

The Ministry of National Defense awarded the Torch Decoration “For Academic Excellence” to Infantry 2nd Captain Jonathan Nova Alvarado, for having obtained first place in the Military Master’s degree with a specialty in General Staff at the War College of the United Mexican States. The decision is contained in Agreement No. 119, signed on July 31, 2026, and published in the Official Gazette Volume No. 452, Number 171, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

The agreement was issued by the Executive Branch in the field of National Defense based on special provisions 1a.-, a), 2a.-, 3a.-, 4a.-, a), 5a.-, d), 3.- and 28.- of Ministerial Agreement No. 0116, dated September 12, 2011, which serves as the framework for the granting of military decorations. The publication appears in the Executive Branch section, National Defense field, page 22 of the issue, and the bulletin summary lists it as “Agreement No. 119.- Military decoration is granted.”

The recognition and its basis

Agreement No. 119 stipulates to “GRANT” the officer the decoration, “in recognition for having obtained first place in the Military Master’s degree with a specialty in General Staff.” The text is dated in San Salvador on July 31, 2026, and closes with the formula “LET IT BE COMMUNICATED.”

The document bears the signature of René Francis Merino Monroy, in his capacity as Admiral and Minister of National Defense, confirming that this is a decision adopted at the highest level of the branch.

Academic merit

• Rank and branch of the beneficiary: Infantry 2nd Captain.
• Name: Jonathan Nova Alvarado.
• Distinction awarded: Torch Decoration “For Academic Excellence”.
• Accredited merit: first place in the Military Master’s degree with a specialty in General Staff.
• Educational center: War College of the United Mexican States.

Official publication

The agreement is published within the Official Gazette Volume No. 452, Number 171, corresponding to Wednesday, September 16, 2026, in the Executive Branch section. In the National Defense field, that issue contains only this agreement, identified in the summary on page 22.

The insertion in the official bulletin provides publicity and formal evidence of the decoration, in accordance with the practice of publishing acts of the Executive Branch regarding defense matters in the Official Gazette.

The distinction recognizes the academic performance of a Salvadoran officer trained abroad and reinforces the institutional bond between the Armed Forces and military study centers in the region. For readers, the agreement provides verifiable evidence that first place in a high-level military master’s degree was obtained by a Salvadoran Infantry captain, and that this merit was rewarded with a decoration signed by the head of National Defense.

Source: Official Gazette, Volume No. 452, Number 171, September 16, 2026, Executive Branch section (National Defense Branch), page 22 (official reference: Agreement No. 119).