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The Northern Triangle consists of three countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Located between Mexico and neighboring countries in Central America, migration from the Northern Triangle has grown significantly in the last decade. In 2018, 47 percent of migrants apprehended at the United States southern border originate from the Northern Triangle - including our four characters. From 2010-2015, emigration from the Northern Triangle increased by 500 percent. The following profiles describe the political, economic, and social factors in these countries that contribute to migration.

El Salvador

El Salvador is the smallest country in the Northern Triangle, and its population is densely centered in major cities and municipalities. Despite its small size, agriculture accounts for 20 percent of El Salvadoran jobs. El Salvador’s agricultural roots go back to collective farming communities of the pre-colonial Pipil indigenous peoples.

Beginning in 1980, a twelve-year civil war between the El Salvadorian government and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front served as a proxy war between Soviet and U.S. interests. When the war ended in 1992 with peace accords, violence and displacement stagnated economic recovery and exacerbated inequality in El Salvador. After the civil war, El Salvador was left with limited economic opportunity and a highly militarized government. This created fertile ground for organized crime groups to infiltrate communities, especially following the U.S. deportations of gang members to El Salvador in the early 2000s.

Now, El Salvador has the highest rates of homicide and crime in the Northern Triangle, though these rates have dropped since their peak in 2015. These decreasing rates are attributed to police combating extortion practices of gangs. Still, these crime rates hinder investment and economic growth, creating an employment growth deficit of 10,000 jobs a year.

Emigration from El Salvador began in earnest during the civil war and continued into the 2000s after a series of natural disasters. Many of these immigrants were granted Temporary Protected Status in the U.S. at this time as protection from persecution and violence. Siblings Laura and Nando in A Journey Toward Hope want to reunite with their parents who left El Salvador to work to support their family from the U.S.

Honduras

Beginning in the 1980s, Honduras transitioned from military rule to democratic institutions—until the abrupt coup d’état of 2009. These political shifts left Honduras with significant international debt and limited investments. Despite these political barriers, Honduras consistently demonstrates high economic growth rates thanks to a diversified economy. However, inequality has caused Honduras to have the highest poverty rate in the Northern Triangle at 61.9 percent. Although the economy is growing, 16 percent of Hondurans are unemployed or underemployed, while many others make less than minimum wage in informal markets. Due to limited employment opportunities, many youths find themselves choosing between emigration and employment in informal, illicit sectors.

Rodrigo’s choice to migrate in A Journey Toward Hope mirrors this decision that many young Hondurans face. Two rival gangs, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18, control illicit markets across Central America, permeating justice systems and formal markets through extortion and bribery. These gangs were created when over 100,000 Central Americans were deported from the U.S. to their home countries in the 2000s. MS-13 and Barrio 18 took advantage of weak political systems to infiltrate local and country-wide justice systems. Even the smallest communities and legal businesses face dangerous extortion practices. It is estimated that nearly 250,000 Hondurans are internally displaced due to gang violence and coercion since 2004. While crime rates have been falling in Honduras since 2011, many young people like Rodrigo are forced to make these unbearable decisions.

Guatemala

Guatemala experienced a gruesome civil war that began in 1960. The war resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people, 83 percent of which were genocide against Mayan populations. Since the signing of UN Peace Accords in 1996, Guatemala opened its economy to foreign investment, started democratic elections, and initiated truth commissions in order to unveil the hard realities of its history during the thirty-six-year war.

While Guatemala’s economy continues to grow at hopeful rates, persistent inequality and corrupt influences cause high poverty levels and an ineffective judicial system. Guatemala’s Human Development Index ranks at 126 out of 189 countries and territories worldwide. While political corruption has been scrutinized by the United Nation’s International Commission Against Impunity, organized crime syndicates and political actors continue to threaten anti-corruption prosecutors and rule of law across the country. All of these factors combine to limit economic opportunities, exacerbate poverty, and leave violence unchecked.

Guatemala’s expansive natural resources and young population give hope to many development experts, but migration often appears as the only option for young people and families. Guatemala’s natural beauty earned its Nahuatl-derived name meaning “place of many trees.” Guatemala is a biodiversity hot spot, and agriculture is one of its largest economic sectors. Climate change threatens this biodiversity and agriculture. For example, Guatemala experienced its worst droughts in the last 35 years, and volcanic eruptions continue to threaten communities. 30 percent of migrants in Central America’s Dry Corridor cite extreme weather as a reason for migrating.

Guatemala was the height of Mayan civilization prior to colonization by Spain in the 16th century. Guatemala’s indigenous population is the largest in the Northern Triangle and home to many ancient Mayan ruins, including the UNESCO Heritage Site Tikal National Park. However, indigenous discrimination persists across the country, and 80 percent of indigenous Guatemalans live below the poverty line. Alessandra from A Journey Toward Hope is Q’eqchi’ Mayan. The book contains many illustrations of traditional Mayan dress and symbols.