Diplomatic relations between El Salvador and the United States date back to 1863. This research argues that the relationship between the United States and El Salvador is one of cooperation. Since then, there has been a bilateral history aimed at maintaining, strengthening, and advancing relations of friendship and trust, as well as economic ties. The established alliances have prioritized security, migration, and growth partnerships (U.S. Embassy El Salvador, 2025).
One of the flagship programs of the past decade has been FOMILENIO. Its first phase took place between 2006 and 2012, with a contribution of $461 million (ALBA SUD, 2016). The second phase came into effect in 2015 and was set to conclude in September 2020, with the U.S. government financing $277 million and the Salvadoran government providing a counterpart of $88.2 million (Acosta, 2021). These programs were funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) (Millennium Challenge Corporation, 2017).
The U.S. government has established that its main objectives regarding El Salvador are to promote inclusive growth, strengthen democracy, reduce migration, and support human rights through social and educational programs. Between the fiscal years 2020 and 2023, the U.S. provided $706.3 million in bilateral assistance (Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, 2025).
Economically, El Salvador is part of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), which aims to facilitate trade, investment, and regional integration by eliminating tariffs, promoting competition, diversifying trade, and easing the movement of goods (CAFTA, 2004). According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), this agreement (2007) has improved Central American regulations by fostering greater openness in trade relations and strengthening cooperation between countries (U.S. Department of State, 2025).
A study by Briñis (2023) analyzes these bilateral and diplomatic relations. During the administrations of both the ARENA and FMLN parties, there was stability in relations, and projects and policies were maintained. However, under Bukele’s administration, there has been a shift in El Salvador’s foreign policy due to tensions with the Biden administration and the government’s geopolitical pivot toward other countries, such as China. This perspective is shared by Poole and Jianrong (2024), who argue that Bukele’s engagement with China is perceived as less interventionist, potentially limiting U.S. influence—though not in a rigid manner, as it does not reflect Cold War-era dynamics but rather a more flexible reorientation (Poole & Jianrong, 2024).
However, in early 2025, with the visit of Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to El Salvador, relations with the U.S. were reaffirmed. First, Trump’s praise for Bukele (Associated Press, 2025), followed by Bukele’s offer to use his “mega prison,” the so-called Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), to house criminals captured in the U.S. (Avelar, 2025; Guillén, 2025). Additionally, Washington committed to promoting the development of nuclear energy in El Salvador (U.S. Department of State, 2025).
In 2025, the U.S. Department of State stated that “the United States and El Salvador maintain a long-standing diplomatic relationship and have long cooperated in security, energy, and trade” (U.S. Department of State, 2025, paragraph. 2).
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele will visit his US counterpart, Donald Trump, at the White House on April 14, 2025. The meeting, confirmed by Bukele via social media (Bukele, 2025), will focus on bilateral cooperation on migration and security issues. In the invitation letter, Trump highlighted the “good relationship” between the two countries and thanked Bukele for his support in the fight against illegal immigration, noting that such support has helped “protect Americans from illegal activities at the border.” Following the drop in homicides, El Salvador was classified as a level 1 travel destination by the State Department (Department of State, 2025).
Therefore, this research argues that the relationship between the United States and El Salvador is one of cooperation. As an indicator of this study, it demonstrates that both countries maintain political alliances, shared foreign policy objectives, trade relations, and joint military operations.
References
Acosta, J. (05 de Marzo de 2021). ¿Qué ha pasado con Fomilenio II en El Salvador? CoLatino, págs. Colaboración Voces en la Frontera https://www.diariocolatino.com/que-ha-pasado-con-fomilenio-ii-en-el-salvador/.
ALBA SUD. (09 de mayo de 2016). El Salvador: Fomilenio II y el desarrollo turístico. Obtenido de https://www.albasud.org/noticia/es/880/el-salvador-fomilenio-ii-y-el-desarrollo-tur-stico
Associated Press. (23 de enero de 2025). Trump elogia a Bukele y plantea trabajar con El Salvador contra la migración ilegal y las pandillas. Los Angeles Times, págs. https://www.latimes.com/espanol/internacional/articulo/2025-01-23/trump-elogia-a-bukele-y-plantea-trabajar-con-el-salvador-contra-la-migracion-ilegal-y-las-pandillas.
Avelar, B. (03 de Febrero de 2025). Bukele ofrece a Trump su megacárcel para criminales capturados en Estados Unidos. El País, págs. https://elpais.com/america/2025-02-04/bukele-ofrece-a-trump-su-megacarcel-para-criminales-capturados-en-estados-unidos.html.
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Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. (20 de Enero de 2025). U.S. Relations With El Salvador. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet. Obtenido de U.S Department of State : https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-el-salvador/
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CEPAL. (2007). DR-CAFTA: aspectos relevantes seleccionados del Tratado y reformas legales que deben realizar a su entrada en vigor los países de Centroamérica y la República Dominicana. México: CEPAL. Obtenido de https://www.cepal.org/es/publicaciones/5001-dr-cafta-aspectos-relevantes-seleccionados-tratado-reformas-legales-que-deben
Department of State. (01 de Abirl de 2025). El Salvador International Travel Information. Obtenido de Travel.State.GovU.S. : https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/ElSalvador.html
Guillén, B. (9 de febrero de 2025). La primavera de Nayib Bukele con Donald Trump. El País, págs. https://elpais.com/america/2025-02-10/la-primavera-de-nayib-bukele-con-donald-trump.html.
Poole, E., & Jianrong, P. (2024). La política exterior de El Salvador bajo el gobierno de Nayib Bukele, en el marco de los realineamientos internacionales de los actores políticos latinoamericanos frente a la rivalidad sino-estadounidense. CONFINES: Revista de Ciencia Política y Relaciones Internacionales, 65-83.
U.S. Embassy El Salvador. (13 de marzo de 2025). U.S.- El Salvador Relations. Obtenido de https://sv.usembassy.gov/u-s-el-salvador-relations/