El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras seek to create a security policy to fight violent gangs, called maras, one of the main reasons for the violence affecting these countries, according to Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.
The president visited the Guatemalan capital on Friday for a private meeting with his counterpart Jimmy Morales.
I have talked with President Morales and we thought it was appropriate to organize the first effort between Guatemala and Honduras, and possibly El Salvador,”
to confront gangs, said Hernández upon his arrival at the Air Force base.
The 3 countries of northern Central America live a wave of violence caused mainly by the action of gangs engaged in contract killings, extortion and drug trafficking.
Criminal groups control slums, and there are frequent death clashes between rival gangs to dominate territories.
According to Hernández, if the maras “have synchronized relationships and information flow, the States have to do the same too.”
Therefore, the Honduran president traveled to Guatemala with his security issues, defense and intelligence teams.
He said he will also meet with the president of El Salvador, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, to deliver the proposal for a regional force against gangs.
The proposals also included expediting the extradition of criminals between those countries.
The more prompt and effective justice is, the more deterrent for the crime wave,”
said Hernández.