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Updated June 30, 2020
U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: An Overview
Introduction
The Trump Administration initially maintained the strategy,
Instability in Central America is a pressing challenge for
but suspended most aid for the Northern Triangle in March
U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere. Several nations—
2019—less than two years into the strategy’s on-the-ground
particularly El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in the
implementation. Some Members of Congress objected to
“Northern Triangle” of Central America—are struggling
the Administration’s policy shift and introduced legislation
with widespread insecurity, fragile political and judicial
to continue providing U.S. foreign assistance to the region.
systems, and high levels of poverty and unemployment.
The decisions of the 116th Congress could play a crucial
role in shaping U.S. policy in Central America.
The inability of Central American governments to address
those challenges effectively has had far-reaching
Funding
implications for the United States. Criminal organizations
Since FY2016, Congress has appropriated more than $3.1
have used the Central American corridor for a range of
billion for the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central
illicit activities, including the trafficking of approximately
America (see Figure 2). Congress has divided
53% of South American cocaine bound for the United
appropriations relatively evenly between bilateral assistance
States in 2018. Central America also has surpassed Mexico
programs focused on good governance, economic growth,
as the largest source of irregular migration to the United
and social welfare and Central America Regional Security
States in recent years. In FY2019, U.S. authorities
Initiative (CARSI) programs intended to prevent violence,
apprehended nearly 608,000 unauthorized migrants from
reform justice-sector institutions, and combat gangs and
the Northern Triangle at the southwest border (see Figure
organized crime. U.S. agencies have allocated the vast
1). More than 80% of those apprehended were
majority of the aid to the Northern Triangle countries.
unaccompanied minors or families, many of whom were
seeking asylum.
Figure 2. Appropriations for the U.S. Strategy for
Engagement in Central America: FY2016-FY2021
Figure 1. U.S. Apprehensions of Northern Triangle
Nationals at the Southwest Border: FY2011-FY2019
Sources: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Budget
Justifications for Foreign Operations, FY2018-FY2021; Congressional
Sources: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “U.S. Border Patrol
Notification 19-288, September 12, 2019; and FY2020 estimate data
Nationwide Apprehensions by Citizenship and Sector in FY2007-
provided to CRS, June 15, 2020.
FY2018”; and “U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border Apprehensions
Note: Actual amounts may be lower due to the Administration’s
by Sector Fiscal Year 2019,” press release, November 14, 2019.
decision to suspend and reprogram some aid.
In 2014, the Obama Administration determined that it was
Suspension of U.S. Assistance
in the national security interests of the United States to
The Trump Administration suspended most foreign aid to
work with Central American governments to promote
the Northern Triangle countries in March 2019 due to the
economic prosperity, improve security, and strengthen
continued northward flow of migrants and asylum-seekers
governance. It approved a new, whole-of-government U.S.
from the region. Although some Department of Homeland
Strategy for Engagement in Central America and, with
Security and Department of Justice programs continued, the
congressional support, more than doubled aid to the region.
aid suspension forced other U.S. agencies to begin closing
down projects and canceling planned activities. In
Honduras, for example, the total number of beneficiaries of
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U.S. Agency for International Development activities fell
Congress also could consider authorizing certain foreign
from 1.5 million in March 2019 to 700,000 in March 2020.
assistance activities in Central America to guide aid levels,
set priorities, and enhance oversight of U.S. policy in the
Over the course of 2019, the Trump Administration
region. Several such measures have been introduced in the
reprogrammed approximately $405 million of aid
116th Congress, including H.R. 2615—passed by the House
appropriated for the Northern Triangle to other foreign
in July 2019, H.R. 2836, H.R. 3524, S. 1445, and S. 1781.
policy priorities while negotiating a series of migration
agreements with Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Regional Developments
Under a safe third country agreement (also known as an
According to a September 2019 U.S. Government
asylum cooperative agreement), for example, the United
Accountability Office (GAO) report, “limited information
States sent nearly 1,000 Hondurans and Salvadorans to
is available about how U.S. assistance [has] improved
Guatemala between November 2019 and March 2020,
prosperity, governance, and security in the Northern
requiring them to apply for protection there rather than in
Triangle.” GAO notes that U.S. agencies lack a
the United States. Guatemala suspended that agreement in
comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan, and that
March 2020 due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-
project-level assessments have found mixed results. In
19) pandemic; similar agreements with Honduras and El
September 2019 congressional testimony, State Department
Salvador have yet to begin implementation.
officials asserted that U.S. foreign aid programs had been
“producing the results [they] were intended to produce”
In October 2019, after the migration agreements had been
with regard to security, governance, and economic
concluded, the Administration announced it would begin
development in the region. Nevertheless, the officials
restoring targeted aid to the region. As of June 12, 2020, the
defended the Administration’s aid suspension by arguing
Administration had informed Congress of its intention to
that the number of Central American migrants apprehended
release more than $705 million of new and previously
at the U.S.-Mexico border is “the only metric that matters.”
suspended assistance for the Northern Triangle (see Table
1). The Administration asserts that the funds are intended to
Although country-level indicators measure factors outside
deter migration, advance U.S. national security interests,
the control of the U.S. government, U.S. assistance can
implement the asylum agreements, respond to the COVID-
contribute to nationwide improvements over the longer
19 pandemic, and address other health and humanitarian
term.
needs in the region. U.S. agencies have now programmed
all of the FY2017 and FY2019 assistance for the Northern
The Northern Triangle economies have grown by an
Triangle that the Administration had suspended.
average of 3.2% annually since 2014. The stable
macroeconomic situation has not translated into better
Table 1. Targeted Aid for the Northern Triangle
living conditions for many households, however, and the
(funds identified for release by the State Department, by
U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the
appropriation year [millions of current U.S. dollars])
Caribbean forecasts that poverty will increase by at least
1.5 percentage points in the region in 2020 due to the
FY17
FY18
FY19
FY20
Total
COVID-19 pandemic.
El Salvador
31.2
1.0
122.4
23.2
177.9
Homicide rates in the region have fallen significantly
Guatemala
52.4
2.7
140.6
52.2
248.0
since 2014. The Northern Triangle countries remain
among the most violent in the world, however, with
Honduras
35.7
5.0
134.2
11.6
186.5
2019 homicide rates of 21.4 per 100,000 residents in
Regional
13.4
—
48.4
31.1
92.9
Guatemala, 36.5 per 100,000 in El Salvador, and 44.7
per 100,000 in Honduras, according to local violence
Total
132.7
8.8
445.6
118.1
705.2
observatories.
Sources: U.S. Department of State, “State Department and USAID
Migration Related Assistance Programming,” document provided to
Prosecutors in the Northern Triangle have made
Congress, November 2019; and “Assistance to El Salvador,
tentative progress combatting high-level corruption, but
Guatemala, and Honduras by Goal, Bureau, and Program,” document
may struggle to maintain their efforts without the
provided to Congress, June 2020.
support of international anti-corruption commissions in
Note: Nearly $170 mil ion would be provided through foreign
Guatemala and Honduras. The Northern Triangle also
assistance accounts other than those through which Congress has
has experienced democratic backsliding, with Freedom
appropriated funding for the Central America strategy.
House reporting erosions in political rights and civil
liberties in all three countries since 2014.
FY2021 Appropriations and Authorizations
Additional Analysis
The 116th Congress is now considering the Trump
Administration’
For additional analysis, see CRS Report R44812, U.S.
s FY2021 budget request, which includes
Strategy for Engagement in Central America: Policy Issues
nearly $377 million for the Central American region. The
for Congress.
Administration has not requested any foreign aid
specifically for El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras, but
asserts that some of the regional aid could be allocated to
Peter J. Meyer, Specialist in Latin American Affairs
the Northern Triangle countries if they continue to take
IF10371
action to stem migration to the United States.
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U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: An Overview
Disclaimer
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