In El Salvador, mayors from the party born out of former guerilla forces have implemented participative experiences. They are influenced by other cases in the region, by experts, and by international cooperation. In a context where their resources are weak, the mayors became dependent on external actors, and experiences evolved from a militant perspective to a more technocratic one. Analyses of the cases of Nejapa, of reconstruction programs, of the capital, and of Santa Tecla underline the importance of the mayors and their ability to manage different and contradictory meanings of participation.