For decades they have been two allied countries in times of peace and war.
During the armed conflict in the decade of 80, the United States spent $ 1 million a day to supply or train the Army of El Salvador and, over the years, aid and political, economic and cultural connections have been maintained in the most varied ways between the two nations.
In fact, although some 6 million people live in the Central American country, almost half of that number reside in the northern nation, a growing migration that has kept the population afloat. Salvadoran economy based on remittances.
But El Salvador and the United States are currently experiencing one of the worst diplomatic and economic differences in their recent history, even greater than when leftist parties held power in the Central American country.
Recent confrontations between the president dente Nayib Bukele and the government of Joe Biden have reduced US cooperation with the official institutions to historical lows since the return of democracy in El Salvador in 1992 and both countries have faced strong questions that until recently were unthinkable.
“ It is undoubtedly the lowest point in relations between El Salvador and the United States in the last three decades “, says to BBC Mundo Dr. José Miguel Cruz, professor at the University Florida International and expert on Central American issues.
Last Sunday, Bukele accused Washington of organizing a demonstration against him and a few days before, Biden did not invite El Salvador to a summit for democracy in which the main allies of the United States participated.
At that time, the White House also took the step of sanctioning members of the Salvadoran government for r alleged negotiations with organized crime.
These are just some of the most recent examples of a growing tension that has led the Salvadoran president to say that now he must face not only local problems, but “a world powers. ”
According to analysts consulted with BBC Mundo, a situation of this type not only creates a new regional instability, but also It may have long-term consequences for both countries.
But why is this dispute and what are 5 of the main moments that have marked it?
1- The military takeover of Congress
In February 2019, El Salvador experienced one of the most unusual moments since the return of democracy : the president used military tasks and police to raid the headquarters of Congress and force legislators to approve a security plan that he had proposed.
“It was at that time moment that a break with the United States began to be appreciated. However, at that time there was Donald Trump as president, who somehow cared little about what was happening in other parts of the world and had a certain admiration for autocratic leaders, “says Cruz.
However , the expert points out that things changed when a new tenant arrived at the White House.
“With the arrival of the new government, Biden has put the emphasis on the fight against corruption and the promotion of democracy as fundamental pillars to stop migration from Central America to the United States ”, he explains.
According to the academic, unlike of Trump, whose fundamental axis was not only to close the borders, but to involve the Central American governments and Mexico in migratory control, the p Biden’s policies are more aimed at combating corruption, which he sees as a source of political and economic instability in Central American countries and which motivates migration.
“This emphasis makes many of the Recent actions of the Salvadoran government have been seen as contrary to this effort, ”says Cruz.
2-Control of the judicial system
Salvadoran political analyst Bessy Ríos tells BBC Mundo that another of the moments that exacerbated the crisis between the two countries was last May, when the new Congress, now with a pro-government majority, he decided to remove magistrates from the Supreme Court and the attorney general.
The United States harshly criticized the measure and the temperature of the official messages between the two countries was heating up.
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According to Cruz, the removal of the magistrates was seen by the US and other Western governments as “an attempt to erode the institutions and Justice in El Salvador and as an effort to control power on the part of Bukele. “
” That began to send signals to the international community and, especially to the US, that Bukele was not going to be governed by institutions “,
Faced with this decision, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that it was withdrawing support cooperation for institutions of the Salvadoran State and that it would redirect them to civil society.
USA. is the main provider of international aid to El Salvador, with an estimated amount of $ 300 millions dollars per year .
In a subsequent tweet, Bukele questioned the support for the NGOs, whose name he considered was already “discredited.”
“How good that they receive foreign financing, because the Salvadoran people will not receive a penny,” he said.
According to Ríos, it was in this situation that The Salvadoran government launched its proposal for the “ law of foreign agents ” which, in the expert’s opinion, seeks to respond to the decision of the Americans “by putting a confiscatory tax so that cooperation continues to reach the state coffers. ”
Bukele proposed new legislation in which he will consider“ foreign agents ”to all organizations or that receive funds from international cooperation and must pay a tax of 40% for donations received.
The Salvadoran government considers that the law will allow them to “defend the sovereignty and dignity” of the country.
“This law explicitly prohibits foreign interference and prevents foundations and NGOs from façade disguise as a donation, which is clearly foreign interference, ”said the Minister of the Interior, Juan Carlos Bidegaín
3-The bitcoin law
According to Ríos, another element that increased the differences between the two countries was Bukele’s decision to approve bitcoin as legal tender.
In an unprecedented decision, since September 7, El Salvador became the first country to officially adopt the cryptocurrency, which must be accepted now as a form of payment and whose use the government also encourages as a means of sending remittances.
Ríos points out that the adoption of bitcoin generated worries coverage between the banks and money transfer agencies of the United States, which control the lucrative business of remittances to Central America.
El Salvador receives each year about $ 5, 000 million dollars in shipments from the United States, an amount which represents almost the general budget of the nation.
Of these transfers, it is estimated that $ 400 millions of dollars go into the hands of banks and shipping companies, most of them American.
“These companies see their commissions in danger and they also undertake their fight to reverse this,” says Ríos.
4-Diplomatic tensions and san tions
After months without designated ambassador, the Biden government sent the experienced diplomat Jean Manes , who finally left office at the end of November in what was seen as a strong diplomatic rift between the two countries.
Before leaving the post, Manes had indicated that El Salvador and the United States were going through their “most complicated moment.”
Diplomatic tensions escalated after Bukele publish on his Twitter screenshots of his private conversations with the diplomat in which he pointed out the supposed interest of the diplomat in interfering with a prisoner, something that the US State Department denied.
Was wondering the same thing. She has NEVER had any contact with anyone from the government of El Salvador 🤔 https://t.co/FeBMqe6HJC
– Nayib Bukele 🇸🇻 (@nayibbukele) December 000, 2021
Last May, the State Department published a list of corrupt politicians or those associated with drug trafficking that included people close to Bukele and in July, the Engels List ratified the accusations against various members and former officials of the Salvadoran cabinet.
The crisis between the two countries took on a new hue when Last week, the Biden government imposed sanctions against several officials close to Bukele, whom it said had negotiated with the gangs.
For months, independent media, such as the newspaper El Faro , had uncovered a collaboration of the Executive with the gangs to decrease murders, something that the government has denied.
5-Tension on Twitter
Bukele, who is extremely popular in El Salvador, has been known since his election campaign for the use of social media to convey his message.
But if the Salvadoran president initially used his tweets to propose projects, give instructions to his ministers or question the opposition, a new target of attack has become recurrent in his messages in the last times.
With increasing frequency, Bukele has used his networks to question the United States, in a turn that several officials from the Washington State Department have also followed. to question policies or positions of the Salvadoran president.
“What has happened it is a strong escalation of the speeches. Bukele has shown no signs of backing down from his intentions to continue accumulating power, as the United States continues to seek a way to pressure him to back down. He has not done it and this has led to relationships where they are now, “says Cruz.
What can happen now?
In a tweet last week, Bukele announced that It has been He had met with the new US Charge d’Affaires in El Salvador, Brendan O´Brian , to whom, he said, he stated that “a Despite everything, I was still interested in repairing the relationship by offering all possible cooperation. ”
“ I offered to collaborate in the fight against drug trafficking and crime and work to reduce forced migration. But I reminded him that our independence is not for sale. avoid negative questions by presenting the US as the “new enemy” against which it is “battling for sovereignty.”
A the time he threatened to approach a new ally (and rival of the US): China .
In 2019 The Salvadoran president visited Beijing and since then has announced several investment and collaboration projects with the Asian country.
However, analysts ensure that the chances that China can overtake Washington on stage Salvadoran economic and cultural activities are not very feasible.
“The possibility that US cooperation can simply be replaced by Chinese is very difficult. First, because the great Salvadoran trade partner is not China. Economically, El Salvador depends significantly on the United States, not only on international cooperation, but also on free trade and the fact that there are more than two million Salvadorans in the United States who send remittances and maintain contact and a constant bridge with the country, “says Cruz.
“This does not exist in any way with China, which is a world apart for Salvadorans,” he adds.
“And another element is that, for Chinese interests, El Salvador is not a fundamental piece. Although China may see certain benefits in the relationship, El Salvador does not contribute much beyond an eventual political support in certain areas, but there is no impact in economic, cultural terms and much less in global political terms ”, says Cruz .
What are the other effects of the dispute?
In the opinion of the experts, the current situation in relations between the two countries may not only affect the numerous Salvadoran state institutions that survived with US funds. , but also to the migration of the Central American country.
“In a state of relations of this type, it will be very difficult for El Salvador to be able to negotiate any benefit for its citizens in the United States, especially those who are in an irregular situation, who are to be much more subject to conflicts and tensions between governments ”, considers Cruz.
According to official estimates, about 2.6 million Salvadorans currently live in a regular situation in the United States, while more of 110, 000 are undocumented.
According to Ríos, it is these people who keep alive from the north “the economic bubble of consumption” in El Salvador.
“The problem with fighting with the Americans is that they are, after Central America, our main commercial partner and you have three million Salvadorans residing there. Obviously, there is a power relationship, ”he says.
“If El Salvador no longer wants to be on the weak side of that relationship, it will have to generate policies so that people do not continue to leave, to generate work here and not to depend on international cooperation. If you want to play at being an independent country, be sure, but it is starting to do so economically. It’s quite difficult to say ‘give me resources’, but don’t tell me what to do, ”he adds.
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