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Comments on the implementation of the truce between gangs in El Salvador

Authors

  • Carolina Sampó Universidad de Buenos Aires; Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero
  • Mariano Bartolomé Universidad del Salvador; Universidad Nacional de Lanas
Vol. 46 No. 177 (2014): Enero - Abril
https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-3769.2014.30870

Abstract

In March 2012, the biggest and most powerful gangs in El Salvador, «maras» Salvatrucha and Dieciocho, called a truce and decided to «calm down» (calmarse). In order to reduce the high levels of violence that affect society as a whole, the heads of both maras committed themselves to stop the killings, kidnappings and blackmail that had been occurring in almost every corner of El Salvador for more than two decades. However, over the last few months there is some evidence that seems to indicate that the purposes of implementing the truce were not those that han been expressed by the maras, and were closely linked with drug trafficking in the country. In spite of the Organization of American States' (OAS) approval and its role of guarantor of the peacebulding process, the truce is in the maras' hands and not in those of the civil society, wich is still reluctant to trust these organizations. In this scenario, policymakers should change the status quo, particularly in view of the coming presidential elections.

Keywords:

maras, El Salvador, truce, drug traffiking, organized crime

Author Biographies

Carolina Sampó, Universidad de Buenos Aires; Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero

Profesora de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) y de la Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero (UNTref); doctora en Ciencias Sociales por la Universidad de Buenos Aires; becaria posdoctoral del CONICET (Argentina); magíster en Estudios Internacionales, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Argentina).

Mariano Bartolomé, Universidad del Salvador; Universidad Nacional de Lanas

Profesor de la Universidad del Salvador (USAL) y de la Universidad Nacional de Lanas (UBLa); doctor y licenciado en Relaciones Internacionales (USAL); magíster en Sociología (ULZ/IVVV-Academia de Ciencias de la República Checa.

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How to Cite
Sampó, C., & Bartolomé, M. (2014). Comments on the implementation of the truce between gangs in El Salvador. Estudios Internacionales, 46(177), Pág. 89–106. https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-3769.2014.30870
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