Central America And Gangs: Nicaragua And El Salvador Case (Research Paper Sample)

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Central America and Gangs: A case of Nicaragua and El Salvador
Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc469011128 \h 3Introduction PAGEREF _Toc469011129 \h 4Problem Statement/ Research Question PAGEREF _Toc469011130 \h 5Definition of Terms PAGEREF _Toc469011131 \h 5Gang PAGEREF _Toc469011132 \h 5Neglected Youth PAGEREF _Toc469011133 \h 5Inefficient policing PAGEREF _Toc469011134 \h 5Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc469011135 \h 6Research Methodology PAGEREF _Toc469011136 \h 11Discussion on Factors Exacerbating the Gang Problem PAGEREF _Toc469011137 \h 12Child Neglect PAGEREF _Toc469011138 \h 16Inefficiencies in policing PAGEREF _Toc469011139 \h 18Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc469011140 \h 19Recommendation on Youth Neglect PAGEREF _Toc469011141 \h 20Recommendation on Inefficiencies in Policing PAGEREF _Toc469011142 \h 20
Abstract
The proliferation of gangs and related organized crime has been a concern in Central America, and several causes have been linked to this phenomenon. This research studies the underlying factors for increasing gang recruitment and organized crimes in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Among the independent variables identified during the literature review are child neglect and inefficiencies in the security function of each country. Additionally, both countries have a relatively high poverty index, report increased corruption practices, and government policies on controlling gang expansion have been ineffective. Nonetheless, this research establishes a disparity between the nature of organized crime in Nicaragua, which is relatively low and decentralized, and that of El Salvador.
Key Words: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Organized crime, Child neglect, Central America, Gangs, Child abuse
Introduction
Nicaragua and El Salvador are struggling due to the effects of past civil wars that took place in the last century. On top of this, there has been the emergence of gangs mainly because of rampant cases of corruption, violence, poverty and incomplete democracies. This research paper examines the comparison between these two countries and the policies considered by the respective countries to solve the gang issue. The main dependent variable will be the gangs present in these countries whereas the independent variables are the inefficiencies in the policing, and neglected youth among others.
Nicaragua and El Salvador have different levels of crime rates despite the end of the multiple borders and domestic conflicts, which occurred in the region in the 1980s. In 1993 onwards, the two countries decided to end their respective political conflicts when El Salvador`s armies signed the peace accords with the insurgents and Nicaragua held a free election that was won by Sandinistas in 1989. Despite this development, the two countries remain overwhelmed by the social and multifaceted forms of crime that are mostly caused by a criminal organization. In both countries, the inefficiencies in policing results to the flourishing of criminal gangs, neglect of youth also give them a good chance to form criminal gangs among other aspects (United Nations 54). Previous studies on the matter provide the empirical evidence that is within the required theoretical framework to help understand the topic better (Fogelbach 418-433). Their studies provide enough evidence to support the direct, intimate relationship between the gangs and violence. Based on moral and ethical issues, gangs are against the assets that form the moral fabric and constitute the livelihood of people in the society (Seelke 2).
Problem Statement/ Research Question
It is from this background that this research paper answers the following research questions; what explains the rise and expansion of violent organized criminal groups in El Salvador and Nicaragua? The prevalence the gang-related crime is mainly due to a number of factors such as migration to the United States, lack of social and economic programs that incorporate the youths, displacement to urban areas, and prolonged period of impunity and internal war. The presence of death squad violence and existence of the drug trade shows the inefficiencies in the implementation of policies and the continued cooperation among the military, clandestine organizations and other power elites.
Definition of Terms
Gang
According to National Institute of Justice, an ongoing association either formal or informal whose main activity is a criminal act. The members of these organization can individual or collectively involve themselves in criminal activities.
Neglected Youth
In this case, child neglect refers to unaccountability by the government and the society that deny the children an opportunity to live a secure and stable life. The government is not investing enough to provide social facilities like education and employment opportunities. There is also no enough security for the children considering the increased cases of drug and human trafficking, sexual abuse among other social vices.
Inefficient policing
In this research study, inefficiencies policing refers to the underutilization of set rules and policies that have led to increased cases of insecurity and the rising and expansion of gang groupings.
Literature Review
After the triumph in 1979 of the Sandinista revolution Nicaragua and El Salvador and other Central American nations decided to overthrow the authoritarian governments. Thereafter before 1996, Nicaragua and El Salvador had instituted new forms of electoral institutions and ceased military conflicts that had plagued the region from the 1980s. The governments formed these new institutions to bring law and order and to help respect human rights. Nicaragua has been able overcome unstable process of political transformations from Sandinista revolution of eradicating the authoritarian regime along with that of forming a suitable framework to stop violent entrepreneurs working for the government. On the other hand, El Salvador despite her effort on military withdrawal and institutional change major old trends such as that of leaving civilians to ensure law and order and the collaboration of private groups still stayed put even after the transition period ended. Therefore, the state institutions have directly or indirectly supported the gang violence. According to UNDP Human Development Report for Central America 2009-2010, El Salvador has a high criminality levels compared to Nicaragua because of a high number of criminal organizations in the street. Nicaragua is known to have a wide history of the profound economic problem, dictatorship, and civil war but still has a low level of homicide violence. In addition, the 2006 USAID report shows El Salvador as having more problems by street gangs and organized crime. Poverty, economic globalization, inequality and neoliberal reforms of the 1990s have been the case of increased crime rate.
Criminal gangs have been terrorizing people in Central America from the 1960s and 1970s. Two main types of gangs exist in the region namely maras and pandillas. Pandillas are the homegrown and localized groups whereas the maras are transnational and recently came to being (Cruz 6). In the time of civil war, pandillas were all over the Central America region, but now they are mostly found in Nicaragua. However, in El Salvador, the pandillas was replaced by the maras. The present pandillas came about after the post-conflict period. This criminal organization formed after the demobilized combatants joined forces. Later during the civil wars that happened between the years 1960 to 1996, thousands of Central Americans migrated to Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles there emerged two main gangs namely the M-18 and the MS-13. Though these gangs started as loosely structured cliques they are now more complex and organized. Modern Pandilla phenomenon came about after the facilitation of the peace accord in the 1990s. This is after the demobilized youths in El Salvador, and Nicaragua moved back home and found the area full of increased cases of insecurity, socio-economic flux, and uncertainty. For a long time, the Central American governments have accused gangs of the homicide deaths in their countries. Nevertheless, gang experts say that the homicides committed by groups remain more visible though it is only a part of a wider spectrum of the killings in the region. There exist other violent groups and criminal organizations other than these notorious gangs. Further, considering the decrease in homicides after the government of El Salvador signed a gang truce in 2012, tells how gang crime is responsible for the majority of the killings. Drug trafficking is among the offences in Nicaragua, El Salvador and other Central American countries that have led to the rise and expansion of gangs in the region. Therefore, the government and other non-governmental organizations focus majorly on how to stamp them out of their respective countries.
Back in the early 1990s, Nicaragua, El Salvador and other Central American countries decided to reduce the budget on personnel and defense expenditures (Fogelbach 418). This activity coupled with the sale of firepower to Peru especially by the Nicaragua government has led to the demobilization of the police force making it ineffective to deal with the rise in gang cases (Does). Further, towards the end of the Cold War, the United States decided to cut her military aid to most Central American countries Nicaragua and El Salvador included. This development forced the countries like Nicaragua and El Salvador to cut defense expenses by three-quarter thus crippling the force. This aspect has also contributed largely to increase in gang cases in these two countries (Manz 15-37). The countries neighboring Nicaragua and El Salvador are also to blame for the rise and expansion of group membership in the region. These neighboring countries have suppressed the move ...