[QODLink]
Americas
El Salvador's bitter civil-war legacy
Street-gang culture responsible for one of Latin America's highest homicide rates, is blamed on conflict of the 1980s.
Last Modified: 15 Jan 2012 11:16

It has been 20 years since the civil war in El Salvador, but the effects of conflict between the military-led government and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front can still be felt throughout the country.

With nearly 10 killings per day, the street-gang culture in El Salvador is responsible for one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America. The street gangs, comprised of tens of thousands of people who grew up in the shadow of the civil war, are seen as a perpetuation of the violence of the 1980s.

In the 20 years since the signing of the Chapultepec peace accords, which effectively put an end to the 12 years of fighting, the gap between the rich and poor - one of the main reasons cited behind the conflict - has barely shrunk. More than half of the rural population survive on less than $100 per month.

Al Jazeera's Rachel Levin reports from the Salvadoran capital, San Salvador, on the complex legacy of a decades-old conflict.

Source:
Aljazeera
Topics in this article
People
Country
City
Organisation
Featured on Al Jazeera
The story of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and its emergence into the political arena after decades of suppression.
People & Power goes undercover to reveal how 'voluntourism' could be fuelling the exploitation of Cambodian children.
Facebook's now-public status may encourage its board and policy staff to respond to privacy, free expression concerns.
Two prominent figures in the American establishment break away from the mould and chastise the GOP - but is it enough?
Spotlight
Latest news and analysis as Egyptians elect first new president in post-Mubarak political era.
In-depth coverage of an escalating regional debate about Iran's geopolitical power and the West.
Violence continues as UN observers are deployed to monitor both sides' compliance with a peace plan.
join our mailing list

Enter Zip Code
Go