National Order of José Matías Delgado

The National Order of José Matías Delgado (Spanish: Orden Nacional de José Matías Delgado) is a distinction granted by the Republic of El Salvador to Heads of State, Salvadoran citizens, or foreigners who are distinguished by eminent services to the country through extraordinary civil virtues which are humanitarian, scientific, literary, artistic, political, or military. The President of El Salvador is the Grand Master of the Order.

National Order of José Matías Delgado
Awarded by  El Salvador
TypeState order
Established14 August 1946
Country El Salvador
Awarded forTo recognise extraordinary merit in humanitarian, literary, scientific, artistic, political and military fields.
StatusCurrently constituted
Grand MasterPresident of El Salvador
(Nayib Bukele)
GradesGrand Cross with Gold Plaque and Special Distinction
Grand Cross with Silver Plaque
Grand Officer
Commander
Knight
Precedence
Next (higher)None, highest
Next (lower)Order of José Simeón Cañas, the Liberator of Slaves

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Design

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The order is named after José Matías Delgado, a Salvadoran priest and doctor known as the "Father of the Central American Fatherland" ("Padre de la Patria Centroamericana"). Delgado was a leading proponent of Central American independence; he was a leader of the 1811 Independence Movement, signed the Act of Independence of Central America of 1821, led the resistance against Mexican efforts to annex Central America in 1822 and 1823, and was a national representative within the Federal Republic of Central America during the 1820s.[1]

The order is presented in five grades: Grand Cross with Gold Plaque and Special Distinction, Grand Cross with Silver Plaque, Grand Officer, Commander, and Knight. Of those, the Grand Cross with Gold Plaque and Special Distinction is reserved only for foreign heads of state, while the remaining grades can be awarded to foreign diplomats and government officials. All Salvadorans are eligible to receive the order, however, Salvadorans serving in public office are ineligible to receive the order.[2]

History

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The National Order of José Matías Delgado was established by Decree No. 85, titled "Creation of the National Order of José Matías Delgado". The decree was approved by the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador on 14 August 1946 and signed by President Salvador Castaneda Castro on 29 August 1946.[2]

Notable recipients

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Tsai Ing-wen with the order

† - posthumous

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Historia del Órgano Legislativo de la República de El Salvador" [History of the Legislative Organ of the Republic of El Salvador] (PDF) (in Spanish). Legislative Assembly of El Salvador. 2006. pp. 10–12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Decreto No. 85 de la Asamblea Legislativa – Creáse la Orden Nacional de José Matías Delgado" [Legislative Assembly Decree No. 85 – Creation of the National Order of José Matías Delgado]. Legislative Assembly of El Salvador. San Salvador, El Salvador. 29 August 1946. pp. 1–3. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2020.