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CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN EL SALVADOR AND GUATEMALA:
A COMPARATIVE STUDY

A Research Presented to
History/ International Studies/ Political Science Department
Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan


In Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies



Jean Sealow Esmad Macas
Jorene Galendez Salvaleon
XB

March 2014 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Here we wish to acknowledge wholeheartedly several people who supported and believed on us throughout our intellectual journey in Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan and the process of writing this research. The researchers feel privileged to have them in our life…

First and foremost, the researchers would like to express our profound gratitude to our adviser, Madam Herminia Yaptenco. This research would not have been possible without her constant encouragement, insightful suggestions, and amazing feedbacks. It has been always a pleasure and intellectually fulfilling to have her as our instructor. We are also indebted to Sir Jessie Jhon Magkilat and Sir Jose Anthony Laurent Octavio , despite the fact that they're miles away, in giving us knowledgeable and factual ideas for the improvement of our study. Also, our sincere thanks to Sir Jo Mark Libre, who contributed much to our work with his invaluable guidance and support. Additionally, we feel very lucky to have Maam Luzile Satur and Sir Carl Alan Large, two of the greatest professors and friends, and would like to thank them for their unstinting intellectual and moral guidance in general.
 
Furthermore, the researchers are also thankful to their beloved parents who gave their outmost understanding, enduring considerations and eternal moral and financial support deserves acknowledgement on their love and unshakable faith on us.
Last but not least, most of all to God. We thank Him to the highest extent for giving us will, wisdom, guidance, strength and courage to finish this study despite of challenges, conflicts, and difficulties that we encountered during the making of this study.

Problem Statement:

This paper analyzed the extent of El Salvador and Guatemala's comprehensive Peace Accords and its impact to its implementation and process in peace-building and social transformation. In order to have a guide and direct answers to this study, it is important for the researchers to find answers to the following questions.

1. What are the causes and effects of conflict both in El Salvador and Guatemala?

2. What is the impact of the peace accords in the implementation and process of peace-building and social transformation?

Objectives:

     The researchers had these following objectives in this study:

 1. To determine the causes and effects of the conflicts in El Salvador and Guatemala.

 2. To assess the impact of the peace accords in the implementation and process of peace-building and social transformation.

Significance of the Study:

This research has a great impact that is significant to the following stakeholders:

For the History/Political Science/International Studies Department. This study can serve as a reliable source and a guiding tool of the department about El Salvador and Guatemala's multiple efforts in attaining a peaceful and harmonious transformation. This paper can also serve as a medium of learning in the discussion of the professors to their students.

For the International Studies students. This study helps the International Studies students to be aware of the contemporary condition and issues regarding El Salvador and Guatemala's striving implementation on its Peace Accords and to its peace-making process. This study can be also use as a reference to those students who will make a further research about the Salvadoran and Guatemalan democratization after the post-conflict and peace-building. It also helps the students to gain adequate knowledge about the country of El Salvador and Guatemala and be aware of country's socio-political condition. This study can also be used as a source for their future research.

Scope and Limitation of the Study:

The study focused on identifying contributory factors of problems and interventions on El Salvador and Guatemala towards on its implementation of Peace Accords process. The researchers assessed its peace accords on how it changed or worsen the situation of El Salvador and Guatemala from the time it is implemented.  The researcher also assessed the interventions faced on its political, economic and social aspects and the rule of law under the civilian control over military forces. This research is limited from the range of year 1990 to 2010. Thus, the information is limited only to the output gathered from the data cited and reviewed.

Theoretical Framework:

Wendt's basic works on constructivism is a reaction to realism, and is intended as a tool for analysis, rather than a tool for prediction. Constructivism isn’t meant to explain anything and it doesn’t. Rather than explain a group of facts, constructivism is a point of view about how one might go about changing the International Relations system. This meaning is constructed from a complex and specific mix of history, ideas, norms, and beliefs which scholars must understand if they are to explain State behavior. The researchers believe that the theory of constructivism is much appropriate in performing this study. Provided with the adequate resources that has been gathered, it is safe to promulgate that El Salvador and Guatemala's precarious peace roots on its internal problems and conflicts due to its rampant violence and crime due to lack of resources, corruption and infiltration by illegal and clandestine security organizations.

Definition of Terms:

Peace Accords – refers an official agreement to come to peace or end conflict. It is also refers to almost 200 substantive commitments on social, economic and political reforms were the result of extensive public participation in defining the agenda for negotiations.

Democratization – refers to the process through which a political system becomes democratic.

Peace-building – as the set of initiatives by diverse actors in government and civil society to address the root causes of violence and protect civilians before, during, and after violent conflict.

Conflict – an active disagreement between people with opposing opinions or principles.

Demilitarization -  is the reduction of a nation's army, weapons, or military vehicles to an agreed minimum.
Constructivism -  a set of principles that is devised to explain a group of facts and can be used to make predictions about behavior in the international relations arena. Also, the behaviour of humans is determined by their identity, which itself is shaped by society’s values, history, practices, and institutions.

PREFACE

The termination of war is mostly seen as a basis not just for recovery but for a fundamental transformation or change in development paths towards peace, stability and development. This research explored the relationship between the content of both Salvadoran and Guatemalan peace accords. This relationship has rarely been studied before. In this regard, this research addressed the gap in the literature by examining to what extent the inclusion of socio-economic, political, security-related and social-fabric related issues in peace accords impacts these socio-economic, political, security-related and social-fabric related issues in the post-accord period. The two cases of post-conflict countries, Guatemala and El Salvador, were comparatively analyzed. The Guatemalan and Salvadoran peace accords were content-coded. Subsequently, the level of post-accord stability in these countries was measured by using various indicators for socio-economic, political, security-related and social-fabric related issues. Findings revealed that there is not a strong relation between the inclusion of socio-economic, political, security-related and social-fabric related issues in peace accords and the level of these issues in the post-accord period. In other words, the comprehensiveness of peace accords does not necessarily lead to stability in the post-accord period. The comparative analysis of changes in the public security sector, the political system, conflict resolution and the use of resources show why there is so much path dependency that can explain the deficits of transformation.

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

As peace negotiations have resulted in the settlement of intrastate violence and wars over the last decade, several societies have been going through difficult phases of post-conflict reconstruction. Negotiated settlement of long-term conflict brings about new challenges as well as opportunities for social transformation. The demand to rebuild divided societies emerging from serious long-term conflict is overwhelming, and recent efforts reflect the complex nature of the process of peace building. The Esquipulas-II-Treaty laid the foundation for the de-escalation of the wars in El Salvador and Guatemala that had provoked a series of intrastate incidents and made the region one of the international trouble spots. During the following ten years peace accords were signed in El Salvador (1992) and in Guatemala (1996).
Less than two decades after the conclusion of brutal civil wars, El Salvador and Guatemala are once again faced with high levels of violence stemming from drug trafficking, organized crime, corruption, and gangs. Overall, El Salvador was more successful in post-war state building. However, despite having stronger institutions and more capabilities, it is not better off when it comes to public security when compared to Guatemala, a state with weaker institutions and fewer resources. In fact, El Salvador's homicide rates have been consistently higher. According to prevailing conventional wisdom, a country with stronger institutions and more resources should be more capable and effective at maintaining order, but this is not the case. This research examines the nature of crime, institutional capacity, and the effectiveness of government responses to reduce violent crime. It argues that decisions made during the transition period set these states on different paths. Furthermore, while strong institutions are important to maintaining order, government policy can strengthen or weaken the effectiveness of the institution. Strong institutions are necessary, but not sufficient. Many challenges remain in both countries in the post-war era, of which the problem of crime is the most pressing one for demilitarization. Until the causes of crime are addressed, it will probably still take some time before we can say a farewell to arms.

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