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El Salvador AI Law

El Salvador Artificial Intelligence Promotion Law (Decreto No. 234)

First comprehensive AI law in Latin America. Promotes AI development while establishing ethical principles and governance framework. Creates the National Agency for Artificial Intelligence (ANIA) to oversee AI development and regulation.

Jurisdiction

El Salvador

Enacted

Feb 26, 2025

Effective

Mar 11, 2025

Enforcement

National Agency for Artificial Intelligence (ANIA - Agencia Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial)

Published February 27, 2025; effective March 11, 2025. First comprehensive AI law in Latin America.

El Salvador Asamblea

Why It Matters

Sets precedent for AI regulation in Latin America. Companies expanding to Central/South American markets should monitor regional developments following this law.

Recent Developments

Law entered into force March 2025, establishing El Salvador as the first Latin American country with comprehensive AI legislation.

At a Glance

Requires

Who Must Comply

  • Government agencies using AI
  • Private sector AI developers
  • Companies deploying AI systems in El Salvador

Safety Provisions

  • Ethical AI principles (transparency, fairness, accountability)
  • Human oversight requirements
  • Non-discrimination provisions
  • Data protection alignment

Compliance & Enforcement

Key Dates

Mar 11, 2025

Law enters into force

Penalties

Penalties pending regulatory determination

View on map

El Salvador

Focus Areas

Algorithmic accountability

Cite This

APA

El Salvador. (2025). El Salvador Artificial Intelligence Promotion Law (Decreto No. 234).

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Last updated January 23, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.