Page 11 - Aruba Today

WORLD NEWS A11
Tuesday 29 March 2016

Gangs in El Salvador make purported truce offer

Soldiers guard a corner in a gang-controlled neighborhood been considering a kind of mer guerrilla Raul Mijango Officials said they would not
in Ilopango, El Salvador. A video broadcast by local media limited state of emergency said, “I had received infor- negotiate with the gangs.
this weekend, purportedly made by the country’s main street in some areas, and is plan- mation that (the gangs) Eugenio Chicas, the
gangs, is offering an end to killings, and asks the government ning to release some non- were going to release spokesman for President
not to continue an anti-gang offensive. Officials said they would gang inmates to free up some kind of message, that Salvador Sanchez Ceren,
not negotiate with the gangs. prison space and liberate they had that idea.” Mi- wrote in his Twitter account
police to fight the gangs. jango has served as a truce that “this administration will
(AP Photo/Salvador Melendez) “We have ordered all of negotiator in the past. not grant any truce in the
our people ... to halt all The gangs may be trying to fight against criminals, and
types of homicides nation- pressure the government will apply the necessary
wide,” said the man who into negotiating a truce like measures to protect the
appears in the video, “to one in 2012, during which population.”
demonstrate to the pub- homicide rates fell notably. The video included veiled
lic, the government and That truce has since fallen warnings, claiming the
international agencies in apart. According to offi- gangs “have the tools to
our country that there is no cial statistics, at least 6,657 destroy the politics of this
need to implement mea- people were killed last year country” and said “we
sures that only violate our in El Salvador. The country want to make the govern-
constitution.” had an overall annual ho-
There was no immediate micide rate of around 103 ment aware that it cannot
confirmation of the authen- per 100,000 inhabitants, El
ticity of the video, but for- Salvador’s highest ever. eliminate the gangs, be-

cause we are part of the

community in this country.”

SAN SALVADOR, El Salva- local media this weekend,
a masked man claimed to
dor (AP) — A video pur- make the offer on behalf
of the Mara Salvatrucha
portedly made by El Sal- gang and two factions of
the Barrio 18 gang.
vador’s main street gangs The video said killings were
is offering an end to killings ordered stopped as of Sat-
in the country, and asks the urday, to show the gov-
government not to contin- ernment it didn’t have to
ue an anti-gang offensive. implement get-tough poli-
El Salvador suffered grow- cies. The government has
ing gang violence since a
2012 gang truce fell apart.
In the video broadcast by

Guyana plans for ‘capital
towns’ in border regions

Associated Press tion parties and the previ-
GEORGETOWN, Guyana ous administration had de-
(AP) — Guyana’s govern- layed local elections since
ment plans to establish sev- 1994. They are supposed to
eral new jungle capitals on be held every three years.
the border regions with its Some municipalities were
South American neighbors operating without quorums
as it moves to develop its of elected officials as many
mineral-rich interior, the had died, migrated or re-
office of President David signed in disgust over the
Granger said this weekend. state of affairs.
Granger said that local Granger said that newly
elections held two weeks elected executives will col-
ago will allow authorities laborate with the govern-
to establish what they call ment to establish “capital
“capital towns” in border towns” and properly ad-
regions to establish control minister them, bring order
and become “motors of and unleash their econom-
business” in the west and ic potential.
north near Venezuela and “Towns must become mo-
in the southwest near Brazil. tors of business”, Granger
Bickering among opposi- said.q