Strangled by gangs

El Salvador, one of the poorest and most violent countries in Latin America, saw 125 gang-related homicides within three days last week. Now its constitutional court has classified the gangs as terrorist organizations.

Authorities in El Salvador have registered at least 3,854 homicides in the past year. If the death toll continues to rise at the same pace, one in every thousand of the 6.3 million Salvadorans will have been murdered by the end of the year. Outside war zones, only Honduras has a comparable homicide rate.

Imported gang structures

In both countries, the murders can mostly be traced back to "Maras", one of the gangs whose income is derived from hold-ups, extortion, arms trafficking and the illegal drug trade. Their roots go back to gangs in the Latin districts of Los Angeles in the 1980s, when many Salvadorans fled their country during the civil war.

When the conflict was over, the gangs formed criminal organizations in El Salvador. "This process was accelerated after the USA began deporting illegal immigrants to their home countries," states a study conducted by the research department of the US Congress.

Today, UN drug authorities estimate a total of 54,000 members in "Mara Salvatrucha" (known as MS-13) and the 18th Street gang (also known as Barrio 18) in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. El Salvador, the smallest of the three countries, is home to 22,000 of them. In neighboring Nicaragua, many smaller gangs are active.

Gang recruiters target students

Maras' recruiters often target high school students. The organization offers youngsters what their parents often lack: the prospect of a livelihood and the feeling of being respected. Gang members often cover themselves in tattoos, which are earned through respect and brutality.

As many adolescents are recruited, Maras groups are often referred to as "youth gangs." Anyone who thinks they are less harmful because of their age has another thing coming. The average age of the gang members is low because their life expectancy is proportionately lower.

Lucrative truce

For years, the gangs fought bloody turf wars. In 2012, Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 agreed to a truce. Homicide figures dropped from over 4,000 in the previous two years to 2,500 in 2012 and 2013. The ceasefire has been maintained because it is more profitable when each Mara can call the shots on its own turf in apparent peace.

But now, the killing is on the rise again: the death toll reached 3,912 in 2014. If the current daily murder rate stays at 16 homicides per day, then last year's total will be surpassed by the end of August 2015.

The spiral of violence

Ever since the gang truce was established, the victims of gang activities have been mainly civilians. But the gangs are now fighting each other again. According to El Salvador's defense minister, David Munguia Payes, 85 percent of last weeks' victims belonged to gangs.

Furthermore, the feud between the police and gangs has been exacerbated: in January 2015, seven officers were killed in two weeks. According to sources in MS-13 circles, these were apparently acts of revenge for police tyranny. The police, for their part, swiftly announced that it would crack down on gang activities.

Researchers at "InSight Crime," a foundation that investigates organized crime in North and South America, explains that this is only one of many turns in the recent spiral of violence. They say, "The retaliatory nature together with the rhetoric is telling."

This evokes reminders of the past: Salvadoran presidents have often stated that they would strike back hard. The gangs have always responded brutally to such declarations: in 2009, for instance, during the rule of former president Antonia Saca, known as "Super Mano Dura" (Super Hard Hand) the homicide rate rose to a historic high of 4,367 killings. The record may just well be broken this year.

Government making efforts

It is obvious that the government is taking the route of confrontation. In May, a business association invited former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani to El Salvador to advise the country on security issues. During the Giuliani administration, the crime rate in New York went down drastically. Giuliani practiced a no-tolerance policy against offenders and he has recommended the Salvadoran government do the same.

Classifying Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 as terrorist organizations shows that the government is probably following the former New York City mayor's advice and is even considering deploying the military, although there is little evidence to prove that military measures will reduce the violence, says InSight Crime. Doubts have arisen about the feasibility of Giuliani's tactics in Central America, where officers are paid much less than in the US and, accordingly, tend to give in to corruption.

It is most likely that the first rehabilitation program for gang members in the history of the country may be established by the government as part of its anti-gang measures. The costs, however, could exceed the governments' financial means. InSight Crime can still spot a ray of hope: this year, around 700 police officers have been temporarily suspended for disobeying regulations. Another 200 were expelled from the force. A functioning police force would be the first step towards greater security. Positive changes could attract investors who can offer young people a better perspective than organized crime