WOLA's report on maras, against Mano Dura policies

“Gun-toting, tattooed criminals”. The stereotypical depiction of pandilleros, or young members of Central America’s gangs, have spurred hardline repressive policies known as Mano Dura. According to a recent report issued by the Washington Office on Latin America however, mere repression is not the solution.

Gang violence, according to the study, is a much more complex issue, a serious threat to public security in communities both in Central America and in the United States of America, with “both local and transnational aspects, and a social and law enforcement issue.”

The Washington Office on Latin American or WOLA issued a recent report entitled: “Youth Gangs in Central America, Issues in Human Rights, Effective Policing and Prevention.”

“We worked on the topic of the Maras from the perspective of human rights. That lead us to address in the first place, the Mano Dura policies that are in violation of human rights and due legal process. We then addressed the issue of police reform and concluded by considering preventative programs,” said Elsa Falkenburger, program official for Cuba and Maras.

Towards a more effetive response

WOLA understands that Central American nations face a series of structural problems with respects to the issue of gang violence and their causes: among these, governments that are still young democracies, high rates of poverty and unemployment, weak institutions, (the police included), socially excluded youths and lack of resources to address the root causes that drive the young to join the pandillas.

The study recommends that local government address momentous issues such as corruption, organized crime and cartels and local entrepreneurship. “Youths need good social services – health care, schools, after-school activities – and the opportunity to become productive citizens, to be employed and to be able to look ahead to safer futures,” said Falkenburger.

WOLA understands that it is important to design an effective response to maras violence, but a response that respects human rights, that involves civil society and community organizations. The report cites Homeboy Industries’ Father Boyles on preventing gang violence: “Youths who join gangs are in search of a personal connection, a sense of belonging. Community is the fullest, truest antidote to gangs.”

A dollar spent in time saves seven

The value and cost-effectiveness of preventative policies is also addressed, every dollar spent in preventative programs, according to the report, saves six to seven dollars spent in repressive measures, or “measures of control” such as investigation, processing and incarceration that take place in the aftermath of a violent incident.

WOLA is also dedicated to advocacy at the American Congress and Department of State to guarantee greater verbal and financial support for alternatives to Mano Dura policies, stimulating programs of violence prevention, rehabilitation and re-insertion to society. The office also works in partnership with local NGOs so that they take on a similar role in their own countries.

“In general we do not make specific proposals regarding the prevention of juvenile offending, or to prevent the involvement in gangs. Our role is that of supporting effective prevention programs as providing a better alternative to the current policies,” said Falkenburger.

The WOLA report cites three examples of successful violence prevention programs taken from the United States, Cease Fire Boston, The Homeboy Industries from Los Angeles, and CasaStart. “We are aware that the local realities at the different Central American nations vary, and that a detailed understanding of each one is necessary before adapting these programs effectively,” said Falkenburger.

A coalition to prevent violent juvenile violence in Central America

To this end, WOLA has joined the Central American Coalition for the Prevention of Juvenile Violence (CCPJV) created a year and a half ago.

“Although it has come only recently into the scene, the CCPVJ has already played a key role in the region in taking the topic to public education and providing trustworthy information, such as the studies of the Instituto Universitario de Opinión Pública (IUDOP) from the Central American University of El Salvador,” said Falkenburger.

The Coaliton aims to propose, promote and provide incentive for legal initiatives, national and regional public policy and the implementation of specific activities that promote inclusion and juvenile violence prevention, with the goal of lowering the levels of violence generated by the maras or pandillas.

Among the organizations that belong to the CCPVJ are Jóvenes Hondureños Adelante - Juntos Avancemos (Honduras), IUDOP - UCA (El Salvador), Asociación para la Prevención del Delito (Guatemala), and the National Police of Nicaragua. The Coalition is based in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

From Comunidad Segura:

Interview with Father Boyle, of the Homeboy Industries: Nothing stops a bullet like a job

Read Further:

“Youth Gangs in Central America, Issues in Human Rights, Effective Policing and Prevention.”

Translated by Lis Horta Moriconi