Fernandez, 39, is the political heir of outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves, who survived two impeachment attempts by Congress over corruption allegations.

She has appointed him as a super-minister in charge of the political and economic agenda of her so-called “government of continuity.”

Fernandez won the February 1 election outright at the first round, largely thanks to Chaves’s popularity.

He was barred by the constitution from seeking a second consecutive term.

A former minister of the presidency under Chaves, Fernandez has vowed to crack down on rising violence linked to the cocaine trade in the small Central American country.

The country of 5.2 million people, famous for its white-sand beaches, has long been seen as an oasis of stability and democracy in Central America,

But in recent years, it has gone from a transit point to logistics hub in the global drug trade, fueling local turf wars that have caused the murder rate to soar.

“I want to walk down the street without fearing a shootout,” Nancy Gutierrez, a 50-year-old housewife, told AFP.

Fernandez cites iron-fisted Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who has locked up thousands of suspected gang members without charge, as an inspiration on how to tamp down crime.

Like Chaves, she is an ally of US President Donald Trump.

Her election marked another win for the Latin American right, which has unseated a host of left-wing administrations in recent months, including in Chile, Bolivia, and Honduras.