Relationship dossier
El Salvador
Honduras
Relationship assessment
Regional cooperation and a judicially settled land boundary coexist with unresolved Gulf of Fonseca issues.
El Salvador toward Honduras
+20El Salvador participated with Honduras in the International Court of Justice proceedings that resulted in the 1992 land-boundary judgment. El Salvador also participates with Honduras in the CA-4 agreement on freer movement among participating Central American countries.
Honduras toward El Salvador
+20Honduras participated with El Salvador in the International Court of Justice proceedings that resulted in the 1992 land-boundary judgment. Honduras also participates with El Salvador in the CA-4 agreement on freer movement among participating Central American countries.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship combines practical regional integration with a durable legal settlement of much of the land boundary. The 1992 judgment reduced a major source of conflict, while unresolved questions over the Gulf of Fonseca limit the extent to which the relationship can be characterized as fully settled.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
El Salvador and Honduras have moved from armed conflict over border issues to sustained regional cooperation. Both participated in the International Court of Justice process that produced a 1992 boundary judgment, and they are parties to the CA-4 agreement, which provides for freer movement among participating Central American countries. Questions concerning maritime boundaries and sovereignty in the Gulf of Fonseca remain a source of friction.
Areas of tension
- Maritime delimitation and sovereignty issues in the Gulf of Fonseca.
Key developments
The International Court of Justice issued a judgment resolving portions of the land-boundary dispute between El Salvador and Honduras.
El Salvador and Honduras became participants in the CA-4 agreement providing for freer movement among participating Central American countries.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of implementation and remaining boundary work following the 1992 judgment is unclear.
- The status and practical handling of maritime delimitation and sovereignty issues in the Gulf of Fonseca are unclear.