Western Hemisphere 87
MID#4010
Dispute Number: 4010
Date(s): January 26, 1993 to February 20, 1993
Participants: 91 Honduras/92 El Salvador
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: The International Court of Justice in 1992 awarded Honduras two-thirds
of the territory it disputed with El Salvador. The court also ruled that the two coun-
tries must share the Gulf of Fonseca with Nicaragua. The Honduran army followed
the ruling by militarizing its territory and establishing checkpoints in January 1993.
El Salvador protested in February. On September 10, 1994, the two countries met to
demarcate the new border, and by late December 1994 tensions had eased consider-
ably along the border.
Coding changes: Outcome changed from Victory for side A.
91 Honduras/93 Nicaragua
MID#1202
Dispute Number: 1202
Date(s): January 5, 1907 to December 20, 1907
Participants: 91 Honduras, 92 El Salvador/93 Nicaragua
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (Negotiated)
Fatalities: >999 deaths
Narrative: This conflict follows shortly after MID#1205—the Third Central American
War in 1906. That war ended with American intervention that frustrated Nicaraguan
President Jose Santos Zelaya’s interest to bring back and rule a united confederation
in Central America. Zelaya tried again seven months later and first targeted Manuel
Bonilla in Honduras. Zelaya started by supporting rebel groups in Honduras. When
these rebel groups fled into Nicaragua, Bonilla asked Zelaya for permission to pursue
them across the border. Zelaya refused and Bonilla’s forces ransacked the relevant
villages in Nicaragua anyway. Zelaya wanted reparations, but Bonilla refused. Rather
than waste time with the American-Mexican requested mediation, Zelaya invaded
Honduras in February 1907, and El Salvador entered the fray in defense of Honduras.
Zelaya’s Nicaraguan forces ultimately overwhelmed Honduras and El Salvador,
winning a pivotal battle at Namasigue on March 18, 1907. Zelaya tried to go further,
wanting to instigate rebellion in El Salvador. This would have brought regional heavy-
weight Guatemala into the fray. Here, as before, Zelaya was frustrated by the interven-
tion of the Americans and the Mexicans. The Americans in particular took an active
role in ending this dispute short of what Zelaya desired, much to Zelaya’s chagrin.
Bonilla was expelled from Honduras, ultimately taking refuge on the USS Chicago
before living in exile in the United States. He was replaced by Manuel Davila, who
was distrusted by Zelaya and shortly signed an agreement with El Salvador to try to
oust Zelaya. On June 11, a Nicaraguan warship attacked and captured the Salvadoran
port of Acajutla. Honduras then joined in the dispute on the side of Nicaragua. On