This is probably long overdue... but a lot of it I've just learned recently.
El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. Being approximately the same size as the state of New Jersey, it is home to roughly 7.2 million people, with approximately 30% of this population living in the capital city of San Salvador. The average income per household is $2-$6 per day with 42% of the population lives in poverty. Roughly 25% of El Salvador’s population lives in the U.S. These immigrants send $2.5 billion dollars to El Salvador every year.
Gangs in El Salvador
Between 1980 and 1992 El Salvador was in the midst of a civil war between the government, four leftist groups, and a communist group. Approximately 75,000 people were killed in the war. On January 16, 1992 the president of El Salvador and the guerrilla leaders signed Peace Agreements ending the 12-year civil war.
As a result of the civil war, many Salvadorans immigrated to The Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. Out of this began the now transnational gang, Mara Salvatrucha (MS, MS-13) with original intent of protecting Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs of LA. When these gang members are arrested they are deported back to El Salvador where they recruit more gang members. As a result of this, gangs became a constant threat to the security and peace of civilians. The two most prominent and rival gangs are Mara Salvatrucha and Mara 18.
In September 2010, as a result of gang attacks on buses, the government passed a law making it a criminal offense to be a gang member. In response to this gang uprisings happened throughout gang controlled territory in San Salvador and surrounding areas. One of these cities was Altavista, the location of Christ for the City’s (CFCI) soccer school and the community of Bendición de Dios. During this time sometimes the police and sometimes gangs would issue a “toque de queda” forcing people to stay indoors after 5 pm. If they left their houses they would be at risk of being shot. The soccer school had to shut down and no work could be done in the community. The brother of David, a boy in the soccer school, was shot and killed, and the brother of Adonay was arrested for being out after dark. The government eventually regained control and public displays of gang activity have been much less.
Nonetheless, gangs continue to be a very real threat to the safety and futures of many of the kids we work worth. Some of the kids within the soccer school are the children of gang members, others may even be involved in gang activity themselves. It is the hope of CFCI that the soccer school would provide them with an alternative to life on the streets and speak truth into their lives of an alternate way of life.
Gangs are increasingly more frequently trying to recruit or force children into their gangs. Once in the gang, the kids are often the ones forced to do the killing. The penalty for murder for children is only a few months to a year in a juvenile detention center. Girls are becoming increasingly more involved as well and are frequently sexually exploited. While gang members may not desire the gang lifestyle for their children, they are often forced into it by other members of the gang.
Once in a gang, essentially the only way to leave it is to become a Christian. You cannot have killed anyone from your own gang and you will be forever under surveillance and if you demonstrate anything that could be associated with gang activity (including drugs or alcohol) you will be killed. The respect for Christians is not something that I fully understand but it stems from a respect for the community development work they have done. While they may not understand the gospel, it’s interesting that a gang who has named themselves the “Devil Horns” would understand that the redemption and love of Christ is what the impoverished communities need most.
No comments:
Post a Comment