Rafael "Lito" Montalvo, known as Don Lito, (August 10, 1942 – July 8, 2024) was a Salvadoran author, agriculturist, agricultural engineer, and politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador as a member of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party from 1988 until 1991.[1] [2] Many of his writings focused on daily life in El Salvador.
Montalvo was born on August 10, 1942.[2] In 1964, Montalvo graduated from Zamorano, an agricultural school in Honduras, and became an agricultural engineer and businessman focusing on agricultural products.[1] He served as the president of the Land Bank (el Banco de Tierra) from 1983 until 1988.[2] He was then elected to the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador from 1988 to 1991 as a member of the conservative ARENA party during the Salvadoran Civil War.[1]
In 2000, Montalvo ran for Mayor of San Salvador as the candidate from the National Action Party.[2] He was also a candidate for Mayor of Antiguo Cuscatlán in 2006 on the National Coalition Party (PCN) ticket, but lost the election.[2] Montalvo ran for president of the ARENA party in 2017, but lost the party's internal election.[1]
In the 2024 Salvadoran general election, he ran unsuccessfully for Vice President of El Salvador as the running mate of presidential candidate Javier Renderos on the Solidary Force (PS) party ticket.[1]
Montalvo died from a cardiac arrest on July 9, 2024, at the age of 81.[1] [2]