Peace Corps volunteers work alongside Salvadoran residents to develop locally led economic and community projects.
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The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador has unanimously ratified an updated agreement with the United States governing the work of Peace Corps volunteers in the country.
All 60 deputies voted in favor of the agreement on September 17. The decision creates an updated legal framework for a new stage of cooperation between El Salvador and the Peace Corps.
The agreement covers the supervision, training and protection of volunteers. It also establishes administrative, immigration, tax and customs arrangements needed for the program to operate.
The vote is significant because of the Peace Corps’ long history in El Salvador and the circumstances that caused it to leave the country twice.
A Relationship Dating Back to 1962
President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961. The organization began working in El Salvador the following year.
Volunteers remained in the country until approximately 1979–1980, when the growing conflict forced the organization to suspend its work.
The Peace Corps returned after El Salvador’s Peace Accords and began a second period of service. That period ended in 2016 because violence associated with gangs made it unsafe for volunteers to continue working in many communities.
The governments of El Salvador and the United States signed a new agreement on September 7, 2023. The first group of volunteers under the renewed program arrived in September 2024.
Therefore, the latest vote does not mean that the first volunteers will only now begin arriving. Volunteers have already returned. The ratification updates and formalizes the legal conditions under which the program can continue and expand.
What the New Agreement Covers
The new agreement consists of 10 articles and replaces an earlier bilateral arrangement dating from 1961.
It defines the responsibilities of El Salvador and the United States in several areas, including:
- Volunteer supervision and training
- Safety and protection
- Administrative and immigration procedures
- Funding arrangements
- Tax and customs exemptions
- Coordination between the two governments
The agreement allows the Salvadoran government to request volunteers for mutually approved projects. The United States will decide whether to approve and provide those volunteers.
Officials explained that the agreement does not require El Salvador to make a fixed financial contribution to the program.
It does provide certain tax and customs exemptions for equipment, supplies and other materials imported for Peace Corps projects. Financial arrangements for individual projects can be established as the program develops.
The agreement does not have a fixed expiration date. Either government may terminate it by providing written notification. The termination would take effect 90 days later.
One More Step Before It Takes Effect
Although the Assembly has ratified the agreement, one final diplomatic procedure remains.
The agreement will officially take effect after El Salvador and the United States exchange notifications confirming that both governments have completed their internal requirements.
That process is different from another legislative vote. The Salvadoran Assembly has completed its part by approving the agreement unanimously.
What Will the Volunteers Do?
During the legislative discussion, officials mentioned several areas where Peace Corps volunteers could provide assistance. These included agriculture, education, health, environmental work, leadership and youth development.
Officials also acknowledged that the final priorities will depend on studies and requests made as the program develops.
The current Peace Corps website provides more specific information. It identifies two main programs operating in El Salvador: Community Economic Development and Youth Development.
Supporting Rural Economic Development
The Community Economic Development program is intended to help rural Salvadoran households create and strengthen economic opportunities.
Volunteers are expected to work particularly with women and young people. Their activities may include:
- Teaching personal money-management skills
- Helping organize community savings groups
- Providing basic business and entrepreneurship training
- Supporting small income-producing activities
- Teaching digital skills
- Offering English instruction for businesses serving international visitors
English training will be offered selectively to artisans, tourism businesses and others whose products or services are aimed at American visitors.
Volunteers may work alongside the Ministry of Tourism, the National Commission for Micro and Small Enterprises, known as CONAMYPE, community development associations and other local organizations.
This part of the program could be particularly valuable in rural communities. Many Salvadorans have good ideas and useful skills but need assistance with planning, recordkeeping, promotion or reaching new markets.
Working With Salvadoran Youth
The Youth Development program will involve cooperation with public schools, municipalities, community leaders and civil society organizations.
Volunteers may help organize sports, art, music and debate clubs. They can also assist with leadership camps, recreational activities and community projects.
The program is intended to strengthen skills such as:
- Communication
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving
- Resilience
- Leadership
- Goal-setting
Another goal is to improve communication between young people and their parents while helping families participate in planning for the future.
Positive activities and strong community connections can give young people confidence and a sense of purpose. These opportunities are valuable in any country, especially in rural communities where organized programs may be limited.
Communities Will Help Identify Their Needs
Peace Corps volunteers are not intended to arrive with a project already decided in Washington.
The organization says volunteers will conduct assessments with community leaders, educators and local organizations. They will then work with those partners to identify priorities and develop plans.
That collaborative approach is important. People living in a community understand their needs better than visitors do.
A volunteer can bring knowledge, energy and a different perspective. Salvadorans contribute local experience, cultural understanding and knowledge of what can work over the long term.
The strongest projects will combine both.
Life in Salvadoran Communities
Many Peace Corps volunteers will be assigned to rural areas. They generally serve for two years after completing approximately three months of language, cultural and technical training.
According to the Peace Corps, volunteers will commonly live in a private room inside the home of a Salvadoran host family. Some communities may have intermittent electricity or running water, and volunteers may walk or use public buses for transportation.
Living within the community helps volunteers understand the people with whom they work. It also promotes the cultural exchange that has always been an important part of the Peace Corps mission.
The experience is not one-sided. Volunteers share their skills, but they also learn from Salvadoran families, traditions and communities.
A Sign of Changing Conditions
The return of the Peace Corps has another meaning for El Salvador.
The organization withdrew in 2016 because the country’s violence made continued operations unsafe. Less than a decade later, volunteers are once again preparing to live and work in rural Salvadoran communities.
That change would have been difficult to imagine several years ago.
Security alone will not determine whether the renewed program succeeds. The projects must be useful, well-managed and supported by the communities they are intended to serve.
Nevertheless, the willingness of American volunteers to return is an encouraging indication of how perceptions of El Salvador have changed.
Questions Still Need Answers
Several details have not been made public.
We still do not know exactly how many Peace Corps volunteers are currently serving in El Salvador. The government and the organization have not identified all the departments where volunteers are assigned.
It is also unclear how many additional volunteers may arrive under the updated agreement.
The public should eventually receive information about the projects being carried out, the communities participating and the results being achieved. Transparency will help Salvadorans understand whether the renewed partnership is creating lasting benefits.
For security reasons, it may not be appropriate to release the precise location of every volunteer. However, general information about the number of volunteers, participating departments and completed projects should be available.
A Positive Form of Cooperation
As an American who has lived in El Salvador since 2011, I see value in cooperation that brings people from the two countries together at the community level.
Government agreements are often discussed in terms of politics, trade or diplomacy. Peace Corps volunteers build relationships in a more personal way. They live with Salvadoran families, work beside local residents and become part of the communities they serve.
The unanimous legislative vote gives this relationship an updated foundation.
The next step is to ensure that the projects respond to genuine community priorities and produce benefits that continue after each volunteer completes their service.
If that happens, the renewed Peace Corps program can strengthen local economic opportunities, support young people and deepen the relationship between El Salvador and the United States.
What kind of Peace Corps project would be most helpful in your community? Please share your thoughts in the comments. If you find our coverage useful, liking and sharing this article helps more readers discover our blog. Subscribing will also help you follow future stories about El Salvador’s communities and development.
Sources: Radio YSKL, Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, and Peace Corps projects
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