Youth gang violence is a serious problem in Central America.  While rooted in the specific realities of the countries in the region, it is also linked to the problems of Central American immigrant communities in North America, and to the growing global phenomenon of youth gangs. Estimates of the number of gang members range widely, from a low of 25,000 to a high of 300,000 active gang members in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The two best known gangs made up of Central American youth are the Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13, and the 18th Street gang.  Both of these gangs originated in Los Angeles in the early 1980s among Central American immigrants.  From there, they spread back to Central America.  They are also a growing problem in communities with immigrant populations in North America.   WOLA studies the gang problem with our partners in the Transnational Network for Research on Youth Gangs.

WOLA opposes one-sided, repressive (“mano dura”) approaches to the problem of youth gang violence.  These approaches are ineffective, and often undercut human rights and due process protections.  We promote balanced, multisectoral approaches to addressing the problem of gangs at the local, national, federal, and transnational levels. Research projects and on the ground experience demonstrate that prevention is the most effective and least costly form of reducing gang activity. Government responses should thus prioritize prevention efforts as part of a coordinated strategy between service providers, police, government institutions, schools, communities, and families.  Governments need to invest in prevention, and commit budget resources to it.


See this publication: Youth Gangs in Central America 
Issues in Human Rights, Effective Policing, and Prevention

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