By Kristin
U.S. assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs, Thomas Shannon, arrived in Guatemala on Tuesday shortly after the body parts of a local gang member were found in plastic bags placed sporadically among a football field by a rival gang. Crimes such as these are becoming increasingly, and surprisingly, common within the last few years. Just last year nearly 6,000 people were killed in this country of only 12 million.
What seems like a flood of gangs is not only occurring in Guatemala, many other Central American countries have embarked in the dangerous trend. Honduras and El Salvador are among these countries overrun with gangs.
Shannon has signed an agreement with the Central American Integration System pledging 4 million dollars as funding for this issue. With this money Shannon hopes Central America will better their security and improve law enforcement in the area. Along with enforcement, Shannon hopes to see prevention of the further development of youth involvement in gangs. A portion of the funding will go towards the building of youth rehabilitation centers.
"We have to remember that this type of delinquency has profound social roots and our way of fighting it cannot only be through policing," Shannon explains.
Sources:
CNN
The State Department
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