Mano Dura Redux: The Price of Mass Gang Arrests in El Salvador

El Salvador has arrested over 40,000 alleged gang members. This seems shocking but it is not without precedent in the country.

Will Soaring Arrests in El Salvador Overwhelm its Prisons?

As part of his sweeping gang crackdown, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has overseen the mass imprisonment of tens of thousands of people, potentially jeopardizing recent efforts to mitigate overcrowding…

El Salvador Shifts Mano Dura Security Policies into Overdrive

With a near unprecedented wave of arrests, the El Salvador government is doubling down and expanding on heavy-handed security policies, known as mano dura, that have consistently failed to yield…

Gang Murder Rampage Sends Shockwaves Through El Salvador Government

A killing spree unlike anything seen since El Salvador’s civil war has delivered a macabre message from the country’s street gangs, which have learned that spikes in homicides speak to…

Barrio 18 Poses as Vendors to Pilfer El Salvador Pandemic Funds

Dozens of Barrio 18 members in El Salvador allegedly conspired with street vendors to divert pandemic relief funds.

Fired El Salvador Prison Workers Claim Irregularities Facilitated Gang Negotiation

Fired prison employees in El Salvador have claimed they witnessed negotiations among government officials and imprisoned gang leaders, adding weight to allegations the country's prison director helped broker a pact…

El Salvador's Gangs Send Message in Blood

Though El Salvador stands on track for another record low in homicides this year, the country was recently shaken by a three-day killing spree, a bloody reminder that its newfound…

Evidence of Gang Negotiations Belie El Salvador President’s Claims

A scrapped investigation by El Salvador’s former Attorney General has revealed a massive trove of evidence that the administration of President Nayib Bukele secretly negotiated with three of the country’s…

Honduras Army Faces Backlash After Continued Prison Violence

A massacre between the Barrio 18 and MS13 gangs in Honduras’ most notorious prison raises questions on whether the military is having any impact since taking over responsibility for prison…

'Unforgivable' Director: 'If the Gang Knows You're Gay, They Kill You'

The ideas of masculinity, discrimination and homophobia within El Salvador's gangs are at the heart of "Unforgivable," a documentary who explores how these under-reported topics affect gang violence.

Revived Drug Routes, Evolving Street Gangs in El Salvador

Though a relatively minor player in the transnational drug trade, El Salvador's overland smuggling routes have undergone a moderate revival and some factions of the country's largest street gang --…

Guatemala's Anti-Extortion Plan: A Legacy of Unkept Promises

It was one of Alejandro Giammattei’s most emphatic promises. One year later, the Interior Ministry supported his strategy to reduce extortions by cutting off access to communication devices among the…