AMERICA/EL SALVADOR - Fleeing the violence of the 'maras'

Wednesday, 15 June 2016 violence  

Presidencia El Salvador

San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) - El Salvador is experiencing a serious outbreak of violence among criminal gangs. According to information sent to Fides, the small but densely populated Central American nation registered more homicides in 2015 than any other year. Violent crime perpetrated by the "maras", as these gangs are called, has claimed the lives of 7,500 young Salvadorans since the middle of 2014. Tens of thousands of people, including a large number of unaccompanied children, feel they have no other choice but to leave the country. Most try to reach the United States to apply for asylum, but many only manage to arrive in Mexico where they are intercepted by the authorities. In the first five months of 2016, about 20 thousand Salvadorans were expelled from Mexico, and were sent back to the violence from which they were trying to escape. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 15/06/2016)


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