El Salvador

Overview of El Salvador

  • El Salvador’s status declined from Free to Partly Free in Freedom in the World 2020 because criminal groups continue to commit acts of violence and intimidation against politicians, ordinary citizens, and religious congregants, and because the justice system has been hampered by obstruction and politicization.
  • El Salvador is a member of the United Nations and several of its specialized agencies, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Central American Common Market (CACM), the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), and the Central American Integration System (SICA).
  • El Salvador’s recognition of the PRC occurred under the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) government of former guerilla leader Salvador Sánchez Cerén, who had fought against El Salvador’s U.S.-backed junta during the country’s 1979–92 civil war.
  • El Salvador’s experience with the PRC and its companies, as well as the United States’ reaction and ability to deliver on its own promises, will have a strong impact on the rest of the region as its governments contemplate their own orientation toward the PRC.
  • El Salvador’s recognition of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in August 2018 was the third such change in Latin America following the end of the informal truce that had restrained the PRC’s diplomatic competition with Taiwan between 2008 and 2016.
  • El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has appointed a new security minister whose alleged ties to officials and political operators accused of corruption raise concerns about the government’s commitment to transparent…
  • El Salvador, for example, carried out a major crackdown on gangs through an operation known as Mano Dura (Strong Hand), which has been widely condemned by human rights organizations as being too violent and ineffective.
  • El Salvador won 3–0 with all goals coming in the second half.[5] On December 1, Belize scored their first-ever international goal as they lost 2–1 to Costa Rica and were eliminated from the tournament.
  • El Salvador became one of the most dangerous places in the world in the decades that followed as a result, culminating in a homicide rate of 103 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015, on a par with many war zones.
  • El Salvador’s economy has traditionally been agricultural, but services and industry now employ a greater percentage of the workforce and account for a much higher percentage of the gross domestic product.
  • Continent

    El Salvador is a country in Central America and, geographically, is part of continental North America.It is bordered on the southwest by the Pacific Ocean, and lies between Guatemala and Honduras.

    Population

    Carlos Humberto Romero, the last in a series of presidents whose elections were denounced by many as fraudulent, was overthrown by a military junta.In 1979, Gen.In the 1970s El Salvador’s overpopulation, economic problems, and inequitable social system led to social and political unrest; by the end of the decade, murder and other terrorism by leftist guerrillas and especially by right-wing death squads had become common.Murders and other terrorism continued, and the unrest erupted into a full-scale civil war between the government and guerrillas of the leading opposition group, the FMLN.

    Should El Salvador be on your travel bucket list?

    When people consider a trip to Central America, El Salvador probably isn’t the first country that comes to mind.

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    What can I do to avoid bed bugs?

    Although bed bugs do not carry disease, they are an annoyance.See our information page about avoiding bug bites for some easy tips to avoid them.For more information on bed bugs, see Bed Bugs.

    Why does CDC recommend packing these health-related items?

    It’s best to be prepared to prevent and treat common illnesses and injuries.Some supplies and medicines may be difficult to find at your destination, may have different names, or may have different ingredients than what you normally use.

    What is happening in El Salvador?

    El Salvador is ranked among the countries with the highest homicide rates in the world: 36 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019, according to the police.Gang violence and conflict with security forces have created humanitarian consequences and affected access to health care.Learn how you can best help in El Salvador and other countries.

    Why are so many migrant children going to the US?

    There’s an influx of children migrating through the southern border with Mexico.

    History of El Salvador

  • In 1969, El Salvador
    and Honduras fought the brief "Soccer War" over disputed border
    areas and friction resulting from the 300,000 Salvadorans who had emigrated
    to Honduras in search of land and employment.
  • In 1524 Pedro de Alvarado landed and began a series of campaigns that resulted in Spanish control.
  • In 1525, Pedro de Alvarado, a lieutenant of Corts’s, conquered El Salvador.
  • In 1909, Alfred Widawer, a virtuous and religious man, joined the community.
  • In 1956, the Instituto Cultural El Salvador-Israel was founded. The community continues to support a school outside of the capital named the “Colegio Estado de Israel.”
  • In 1965, some 5,000 Cubans embarked from the port of Camarioca in small boats, landing in south Florida.
  • In 1969, El Salvador invaded Honduras after Honduran landowners deported several thousand Salvadorans.
  • In 1971, after nationalization of copper under the government of Salvador Allende, Codelco Chile took over operation of the El Salvador mine.
  • In 1979, Gen.
  • In 1980, the Mariel boat crisis brought 125,000 Cuban migrants to the U.S.
  • In 1980, three of the leftist organizations united to coordinate a fight against the government.
  • In 1989, Duarte was replaced by Alfredo Cristiani of the right-wing ARENA party, under whom the conflict underwent a major escalation.
  • In 1996 San Salvador was considered the second most dangerous city in the Western Hemisphere, according to statistics.
  • In 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated the country, leaving 200 dead and over 30,000 homeless.
  • In 2006, El Salvador announced plans to move the embassy (Costa Rica did so as well) to Tel Aviv where the remaining embassies are located.
  • In 2008 Suriname advanced to the group stage of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying despite using only local players.
  • In 2011, La Constancia centralized its operations and opened its new headquarters in San Salvador, where it moved in 1928 from the Santa Ana Department.
  • In 2011, the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities or Unión de Ciudades Capitales Iberoamericanas (UCCI), selected San Salvador as a “Latin American capital of culture”, recognizing San Salvador’s cultural diversity.
  • In 2018, 143 murders were recorded in Belize, giving the country a homicide rate of 36 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the highest in the world, but lower than the neighbouring countries of Honduras and El Salvador.[138][139] Belize District (containing Belize City) had the most murders by far compared to all the other districts.
  • In 2018, 66% of the murders occurred in the Belize District.[139] The violence in Belize City (especially the southern part of the city) is largely due to gang warfare.[136]
  • In 2018, the year El Salvador switched relations from Taiwan to the PRC, its exports to the country experienced a temporary jump to $85.5 million but then fell back to $51.9 million in 2019.
  • In 2019, El Salvador GDP was an estimated $26.9 billion (current market exchange rates); real GDP was up by an estimated 2.4%; and the population was 7 million.
  • In 2020, according to sources interviewed for this work, a delegation from the People’s Liberation Army toured the Salvadoran military academy, and the PRC has reportedly discussed providing computers and other equipment to the Salvadoran National Civil Police.
  • In 2020, just over 3,000 Cubans immigrants were admitted to the U.S.
  • In the 1970s El Salvador’s overpopulation, economic problems, and inequitable social system led to social and political unrest; by the end of the decade, murder and other terrorism by leftist guerrillas and especially by right-wing death squads had become common.
  • In the 1980s, El Salvador was ravaged by a bitter civil war stoked by gross inequality between the overwhelming majority of the population and a small and wealthy elite that left around 70,000 people dead.