El Salvador declares war on gangs

Americas Now

El Salvador may be Central America’s smallest country, but it has among the region’s highest rate of violence and street crime.

Although peace accords ended the country’s civil conflict in 1992, citizens continue to live in fear because of street gangs that control entire neighborhoods.

There are tens of thousands of gang members operating in El Salvador and close to another 10,000 in prison.

But as Harris Whitbeck reports from San Salvador, a new crusade by police is finally starting to reduce their impact, and with it, the number of murders and violent crime against innocent civilians.

Follow Harris Whitbeck on Twitter @harriswhitbeck

El Salvador declares war on gangs

In one of the most violent countries in Latin America, a new crusade by police is finally starting to reduce the number of murders and violent crime against innocent civilians.