HomeNewsBriefHomicides Down in El Salvador, But Govt Measures Not the Only Reason
BRIEF

Homicides Down in El Salvador, But Govt Measures Not the Only Reason

BARRIO 18 / 3 MAR 2017 BY LEONARDO GOI EN

Official data shows homicides have decreased significantly in El Salvador during the past year, but contrary to statements by the authorities, the government's extraordinary anti-gang measures are not the only reason for the steep decline.

The director of El Salvador's National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil – PNC), Howard Cotto, said 493 homicides were registered in January and February 2017, 65 percent less than those committed in the first two months of last year, reported El Diario de Hoy.

With an average of 8.4 killings per day, January and February 2017 homicide totals are remarkably close to the figures registered following the government-facilitated truce struck between the MS13 and Barrio 18 gangs in 2012. During the truce, homicide tallies fell to seven per day before skyrocketing again after the truce collapsed in 2014. Murders eventuallly reached an astounding 18 per day in 2015, the most violent year since the end of El Salvador's civil war in the early 1990s. 

Cotto said the recent decrease in homicides "is a result of the extraordinary security measures" implemented by the government.

El Salvador's Congress passed a package of heavy-handed measures in April 2016, in an effort to tighten restrictions on incarcerated gang members and prevent them from ordering crimes from behind bars. The measures were eventually extended in February 2017, and are expected to be implemented until 2018.

InSight Crime Analysis

While the decline in homicide rates is a significant accomplishment for Salvadoran authorities, the implementation of the anti-gang measures alone cannot account for the reduction of violence across the country.

To be sure, the heavy-handed measures appear to have had an impact. But parallel to these official policies, the MS13 and Barrio 18 leadership have allegedly instructed their members to halt killings. It's not clear to what extent this directive has been followed, but the sharp reduction in homides following the 2012 truce shows the gangs are capable of elevating or lowering the national homicide rate at will.

SEE ALSO: El Salvador News and Profiles

Furthermore, human rights abuses by state forces remain a major concern. There have been reports of Salvadoran security forces taking part in extrajudicial killings against criminal groups. At the same time, there are growing indications that death squads have spread across the country, systematically targeting suspected gang members.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

EL SALVADOR / 19 MAY 2022

A report by El Faro has revealed the initial fractures in the negotiated pact between the El Salvadoran government and…

EL SALVADOR / 5 AUG 2021

In two separate cases in El Salvador, mayors are accused of heading migrant smuggling rings, a crime that,…

BARRIO 18 / 1 MAR 2022

Fired prison employees in El Salvador have claimed they witnessed negotiations among government officials and imprisoned gang leaders, adding weight…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report continues to be a reference in the region

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Staff Cited as Experts by International Media

21 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime deputy editor, Juan Diego Posada, was interviewed by the Associated Press about connections between the ex-FARC mafia and Brazilian criminal groups, and…