The Football War – 4 Days
Despite the name of the war, the actual cause of the war was economic in nature. Honduras became home to more than 300,000 Salvadorans who left their homes in El Salvador in search of more land and a better future. However, land reform in Honduras took the land away from immigrants and squatters from El Salvador and gave it over to native-born Hondurans. Thousands of Salvadoran laborers were forced out of Honduras and the tensions between the two countries began to escalate.
The tensions came to a head when Honduras and El Salvador faced each other in the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The first game was won by Honduras and was followed by violence. The second game was won by El Salvador and even greater violence followed. The playoff match took place on June 26, 1969, and was won by El Salvador. The very same day, El Salvador severed all diplomatic relations with Honduras over the crimes committed against Salvadorans and demanded reparations for the land that was taken from them.
On July 14, 1969, military action began against Honduras. The Salvadoran Army launched major offenses along the two main roads that connected the countries and invaded Honduras. At the start of the conflict, rapid progress was made by the Salvadoran army. The managed to push the Honduran army back 8 kilometers by July 15. This meant that the Salvadoran army was close to striking the Honduran capital.
On July 16, the Honduran bombers attacked for the first time, striking Ilopango and its oil facilities. The bombing campaign was enough to disrupt the logistical efforts of the Salvadoran army. On July 18, a cease-fire was arranged but it did not take effect until July 20. It was not until July 29 that El Salvador fully pulled out of Honduras, and it would be more than ten years before the two countries finally agreed on a peace settlement.