In the first one, Is El Salvador Negotiating with Street Gangs?, Geoffrey Ramsey summarizes two El Faro reports on the government's approach to public security. One report indicates that Mauricio Funes' government has reached out to MS-13 and Barrio 18 to reduce violence by moving prisoners.
The second report says that gang leaders stopped the killings in return for large sums of cash. Ramsey says that whatever the cause, the government's approach seems to have worked. I'm not so sure. If it has, we are only going on two weeks of data - the first two weeks of March. Given the number of homicides in January and February, the country is on pace to surpass last year's numbers.
In the second article, Elyssa Pachico writes that the FBI [is set] to Train Anti-Extortion Unit in El Salvador. Given that the US has already been training anti-extortion units, this just looks like an attempt at a re-start.
Finally, Hannah Stone writes that US Hopes to Replicate Salvador Gang Policies in Honduras, Guatemala. Apparently, US Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield" said that the country's anti-gang policies were among the most successful in the region and that he hopes that they will be exported to Guatemala and Honduras. While you don't want to say bad things about the country's that you are preparing to visit, you probably shouldn't make statements that are so divorced from reality.
Finally, in a non-Insight piece, Edgardo Ayala has an article on Schoolchildren and Teachers Under Fire in El Salvador for IPS. Schools have not been able to provide a sanctuary from the violence that exists outside the schools' walls.
Unfortunately, I am not optimistic the likelihood that these "reforms" are going to lead to long-term improvements in the public security situation in El Salvador. I might be more optimistic if they instead looked to Nicaragua for ideas.
In the second article, Elyssa Pachico writes that the FBI [is set] to Train Anti-Extortion Unit in El Salvador. Given that the US has already been training anti-extortion units, this just looks like an attempt at a re-start.
Finally, Hannah Stone writes that US Hopes to Replicate Salvador Gang Policies in Honduras, Guatemala. Apparently, US Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield" said that the country's anti-gang policies were among the most successful in the region and that he hopes that they will be exported to Guatemala and Honduras. While you don't want to say bad things about the country's that you are preparing to visit, you probably shouldn't make statements that are so divorced from reality.
Finally, in a non-Insight piece, Edgardo Ayala has an article on Schoolchildren and Teachers Under Fire in El Salvador for IPS. Schools have not been able to provide a sanctuary from the violence that exists outside the schools' walls.
Unfortunately, I am not optimistic the likelihood that these "reforms" are going to lead to long-term improvements in the public security situation in El Salvador. I might be more optimistic if they instead looked to Nicaragua for ideas.
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