Photojournalist Patrick Tombola documents one the most violent current conflicts.
With an average of 30 murders every day for a population of 6 million, El Salvador is one of the most violent nations on Earth. Police attribute as much as 80% of these to gang crime.
The roots of the problem can be traced back to the brutal civil war, which saw a flood of immigration to the United States. El Salvador’s two main gangs, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18, both have roots in Los Angeles, with gang members deported back to their home country by the US.
The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that some claim it was easier during the war, when you knew who your real enemies were.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
Photo Credit: ES James / Shutterstock.com
We bring you perspectives from around the world. Help us to inform and educate. Your donation is tax-deductible. Join over 400 people to become a donor or you could choose to be a sponsor.
Support Fair Observer
We rely on your support for our independence, diversity and quality.
For more than 10 years, Fair Observer has been free, fair and independent. No billionaire owns us, no advertisers control us. We are a reader-supported nonprofit. Unlike many other publications, we keep our content free for readers regardless of where they live or whether they can afford to pay. We have no paywalls and no ads.
In the post-truth era of fake news, echo chambers and filter bubbles, we publish a plurality of perspectives from around the world. Anyone can publish with us, but everyone goes through a rigorous editorial process. So, you get fact-checked, well-reasoned content instead of noise.
We publish 2,500+ voices from 90+ countries. We also conduct education and training programs
on subjects ranging from digital media and journalism to writing and critical thinking. This
doesn’t come cheap. Servers, editors, trainers and web developers cost
money.
Please consider supporting us on a regular basis as a recurring donor or a
sustaining member.
Will you support FO’s journalism?
We rely on your support for our independence, diversity and quality.