Honduras–Mexico relations

Honduran-Mexican relations
Map indicating locations of Honduras and Mexico

Honduras
Mexico

The nations of Honduras and Mexico established diplomatic relations in 1879.[1] 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.

History

Honduras and Mexico have always had a close relationship and also share a history and several socio-cultural traits in common. Both nations have national heritages of Mesoamerican cultures such as the Maya, both were conquered by the same conquerors such as Hernán Cortes, Cristóbal de Olid, and Pedro de Alvarado and subsequently belonged to the Spanish Empire, both are mostly Catholic, and both nations were part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1535 to 1821. Shortly after achieving Independence from Spain in 1821, Honduras was a part of the First Mexican Empire for a very short time until 1823 when it then joined the Federal Republic of Central America. Among the Mexicans who joined the Army Allied Protector of the Law, commanded by the Honduran Francisco Morazán during the so-called Central American Civil Wars, were General Agustín Guzmán, a native of Quetzaltenango and many others. After its dissolution in 1838, Honduras became an independent nation.[2]

President Francisco Cruz Castro was the son of Don José María Cruz, a Mexican immigrant in Honduras.

Honduras and Mexico established formal diplomatic relations in 1879.[1] In 1908, both nations established resident diplomatic missions in each other's capitals, respectively. That same year, a treaty of 'Friendship, Commerce and Navigation' was signed between both nations. In 1943, their diplomatic missions were elevated to embassies.[1]

Mexico has actively observed and become involved in Honduran affairs throughout the country's early turbulent history which involved coup d'état, military rule, US intervention and wars with neighboring countries. In 1969, Honduras went to war with El Salvador known as the Football War for which Mexico intervened diplomatically and tried to resolve between the two countries. In June 2009, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup d'état and taken to neighboring Costa Rica. Like several other Latin American nations, Mexico temporarily severed diplomatic relations with Honduras. In July 2010, full diplomatic relations were once again re-established.[3]

For several decades, Mexico has been a transit country for thousands of Honduran migrants who enter the country on their way to the United States. Many Honduran migrants flee to the United States for better economic opportunities and/or to escape rampant crime and gang violence in their country, especially from the MS-13/Mara Salvatrucha.[4] In 2014, Mexico deported over 33,000 Honduran migrants back to Honduras.[5]

Both the governments of Honduras and Mexico have increased mutual cooperation to provide legal and humanitarian assistance to Honduran migrants in Mexico and to combat human trafficking and violence against migrants in Mexico. Both nations have also agreed to combat the presence of Mexican cartels operating in Honduras.[6]

In 2018, several hundreds to a few thousands Hondurans 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.[7] That same year, over 640 Hondurans requested and obtained asylum in Mexico where many are choosing to remain rather than face the uncertainty of trying to request asylum in the US and also not wishing to be denied and deported back to Honduras.[8] In 2023, the number of Hondurans requesting asylum in Mexico increased to 40,142.[9]

In January 2022, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard paid a visit to Honduras to attend the inauguration of President Xiomara Castro.[10] In May 2022, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador paid an official visit to Honduras.[11]

In October 2023, Honduran President Xiomara Castro paid a visit to Palenque, Chiapas to attend a Summit on Migration, hosted by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.[12]

High-level visits

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in Tegucigalpa, 2015.

Presidential visits from Honduras to Mexico[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

Presidential visits from Mexico to Honduras[23][24][25][26]

Bilateral agreements

Both nations have signed several bilateral agreements such as an Agreement on Touristic Cooperation (1990); Agreement on Combating Drug Trafficking and Drug Dependency (1990); Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation (1995); Agreement on Educational and Cultural Cooperation (1998); Treaty on Joint Execution of Criminal Sentences (2003); Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (2004) and a Treaty on Maritime Delimitation (2005).[27]

Transportation

There are direct flights between Mexico City and San Pedro Sula with Aeroméxico Connect.

Trade relations

In June 2000, Mexico and Honduras (along with Guatemala and El Salvador) signed a free trade agreement which took effect in 2001. Since then, both Costa Rica and Nicaragua have joined the joint free trade agreement.[28] In 2023, total trade between Honduras and Mexico amounted to US$2.2 billion.[29] Hondura's main exports to Mexico include: electrical wires and cables, palm oil, sugar cane, clothing, and motor vehicles parts and accessories. Mexico's main exports to Honduras include: copper wires, electrical wires, malt extracts, oils of petroleum, motor vehicles and chemical based products.[29] Several Mexican multinational companies such as América Móvil, Cemex, Grupo Bimbo and Gruma (among others) operate in Honduras.

Resident diplomatic missions


  • Embassy of Honduras in Mexico City
    Embassy of Honduras in Mexico City
  • Consulate-General of Honduras in Tijuana
    Consulate-General of Honduras in Tijuana

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c History of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Honduras (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica: History of Honduras
  3. ^ México restablece las relaciones diplomáticas con Honduras (in Spanish)
  4. ^ The Surge of Unaccompanied Children from Central America
  5. ^ Unos 33 mil migrantes hondureños han sido deportados de México en lo que va del año (in Spanish)
  6. ^ Mexican Cartels Expand into Honduras
  7. ^ The migrant caravan, explained
  8. ^ México procesa peticiones de asilo de migrantes hondureños (in Spanish)
  9. ^ Rompe 2023 marca en solicitudes de refugio (in Spanish)
  10. ^ Renovación en Honduras es muy significativa para México: Ebrard (in Spanish)
  11. ^ AMLO rompe protocolo en Honduras: ‘Apoyamos reforma eléctrica de Xiomara Castro’ (in Spanish)
  12. ^ Reciben a distintos diplomáticos en Palenque para cumbre sobre migración (in Spanish)
  13. ^ "Los años de Díaz Ordaz: el interés en los vecinos (in Spanish)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
  14. ^ Discurso de Toma de Posesión de Carlos Salinas de Gortari como Presidente (in Spanish)
  15. ^ Visita de Estado del Presidente de Honduras (in Spanish)
  16. ^ Presidente de Honduras visitará México el 8 de noviembre (in Spanish)
  17. ^ Visita de trabajo del Presidente de la República de Honduras, José Manuel Zelaya Rosales (in Spanish)
  18. ^ Visita a México del Presidente de Honduras José Manuel Zelaya (in Spanish)
  19. ^ Efectuará presidente hondureño visita privada a México (in Spanish)
  20. ^ Viaje Presidente de Honduras a México para reunion con FCH (in Spanish)
  21. ^ Acuerdos entre México y Guatemala traerán prosperidad a ambos países (in Spanish)
  22. ^ Visita Oficial del Presidente de Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado (in Spanish)
  23. ^ Visita Presidente Carlos Salinas de Gortari a Honduras (in Spanish)
  24. ^ Permisos concedidos al Presidente de la República Vicente Fox Quesada para ausentarse del territorio nacional (in Spanish)
  25. ^ Viajes realizados al extranjero por el Presidente Felipe Calderón (in Spanish)
  26. ^ Peña Nieto visita al presidente de Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández (in Spanish)
  27. ^ Bilateral agreements between Mexico and Honduras (in Spanish)
  28. ^ Entra en vigor con Honduras el Tratado de Libre Comercio entre México y las Repúblicas de Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala y Nicaragua (in Spanish)
  29. ^ a b Data México: Honduras
  30. ^ Honduran Secretary of Foreign Affairs: Mexico (in Spanish)
  31. ^ Embassy of Mexico in Tegucigalpa
  32. ^ Consulate of Mexico in San Pedro Sula
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