Honduras Strategic Free Passage Through the Gulf of Fonseca
2007
Palao, Rene J.
A two-centuries-old border dispute between El Salvador and Honduras was resolved in 1992. At issue in this territorial dispute was ownership of six contested pockets of land encompassing a total area of 436.9 sq km, as well as two islands (Meanguera and El Tigre) in the "Golfo de Fonseca" (GF) and right of passage for Honduras to the Pacific Ocean. More importantly for Honduras, the ICJ ruling assured Honduras's free passage to the Pacific Ocean; also decided that the GF does not represent international waters because of the two countries' shared history as provinces of the same colonial power and subsequent membership in the United Provinces of Central America. The Court ruled, rather, that the GF is a condominium, with control being shared by El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This paper will examine both factors concerning, the historical and current situation into the GF, as well as three alternative strategies that could be implemented by Honduras to maintain the free passage through the Pacific Ocean. In the end, I will present conclusions about the continuous dispute and some recommendations for its probable solution.
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