QuickLinks
-- Click here to rapidly navigate through this document
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF PERIODIC FINANCIAL REPORTS
I, Paul Hanrahan, President and Chief Executive Officer of The AES Corporation, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
- (1)
- the
Interim Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2008 (the "Periodic Report") which this statement accompanies fully complies with the
requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)); and
- (2)
- information
contained in the Periodic Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of The AES Corporation.
| Dated: May 8, 2008 |
|
|
| |
|
/s/ PAUL HANRAHAN
Paul Hanrahan
Chief Executive Officer |
QuickLinks