El Salvador–Mexico relations

El Salvador–Mexico relations are the diplomatic relations between El Salvador and Mexico. Both nations are members of the Association of Caribbean States, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American States and the United Nations. Before the arrival of European explorers to the Americas, El Salvador and Central-Mexico were once populated by Uto-Aztecan language speakers and both southern Mexico and El Salvador once belonged to the Mayan civilization. During Spanish colonization, both nations were part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1821, Mexico obtained independence from Spain and most nations of Central America, including El Salvador, were a part of the First Mexican Empire under Emperor Agustín de Iturbide. In 1823, the Mexican empire collapsed and El Salvador became part of the Federal Republic of Central America along with Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. In 1838, the union dissolved and El Salvador became its own independent states. That same year, El Salvador and Mexico established diplomatic relations. In 1917, both nations open diplomatic missions in each other's capitals, respectively and in 1943, their respective diplomatic missions were elevated to embassies. From 1979 to 1992, El Salvador was enveloped in a bloody civil war. During the war, several thousand Salvadorean citizens fled the country to Mexico where many stayed or continued onward to the United States. In 1992, the Salvadorean government and FMLN signed a peace agreement in Mexico City known as the Chapultepec Peace Accords thus in effect, ending the civil war. Both nations work together in combating drug trafficking and gang violence, including MS-13 (also known as the Mara Salvatrucha) of which are the main cause of havoc in El Salvador and their operations create insecurity in the country. In 2018, several hundreds to a few thousands Salvadorans formed part of the Central American migrant caravans and traversed all of Mexico to the northern city of Tijuana to request asylum in the United States.