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On 13 June 2007, the United Nations Office for
Disarmament Affairs collaborated with the Arias Foundation
for Peace and Human Progress and the Albert Schweitzer Institute
(Quinnipiac University), among others, to host the conference
on "A Firm and Lasting Peace in Central America: The
Pending Agenda 20 Years Later", which was held in concurrence
with the 20th anniversary of the Esquipulas II Accord, a peace
initiative to quell the military conflict in Central America.
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Press Conference
on 20th Anniversary of the Esquipulas II Accords
UN photo/ Mark Garten |
During the conference, representatives and panel
members provided updates and studies on the current state
of Central America. Experts in the security and violence panel
examined the issues of drug trafficking and gang violence.
Ted Leggett, a research expert with the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), discussed the role of Central
America in the global drug trade. According to UNODC studies,
88 per cent of global cocaine transportation passes through
the Central American corridor. Mr. Leggett commented that
80 per cent is transported by maritime "rapid seacraft"
through the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, while on the
Pacific Ocean, cocaine is shipped by slower fishing vessels.
Large drug and crime syndicates primarily manage the drug
trafficking trade through Central America, but despite their
strong influence in the region, "drugs are not percolating
through these societies". Violence and murder rates in
Guatemala are also tied to this drug trade.
The issue of Maras and gang violence was examined by Geoff
Thale, Programme Director of the Washington Office on Latin
America, who noted the huge challenges "confronting this
wave of crime and violence." Violence in Central America
can be partially attributed to drug trafficking.
Gang violence is widespread throughout the region, especially
in El Salvador and Honduras, where one of the most infamous
gangs is the MS13, which originated in Los Angeles, California.
Youth gang violence is a phenomenon with a global aspect,
with the United States deportation playing a major role in
facilitating gangs across borders. A coordinated effort is
needed to ameliorate the violence occurring throughout the
region. Mr. Thale stressed that countries need to "find
political will to take a new approach".
The violence taking place in Central America is greatly influenced
by the historical background of the region. Bernardo Arevalo
de León, Director of the United Nations Development
Programme-Interpeace Joint Programme Unit for Participatory
Strategies in Peacebuilding and Development, explained the
connection between the past political nature of Central America
and its current trends in violence. He said that "remilitarization
is a symptom rather than a disease". A history of high
violence has lead to a crisis of security in various Latin
American countries. Violent societies contribute directly
to the rise in transnational organized crime. Despite steps
toward democratization, States still employ authoritarian
and repressive methods to combat the problem. According to
Mr. de León, "armies in Central America retain
institutional autonomy because there is no parallel building
of civilian type organizations".
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Post Between Honduras and El Salvador UN photo/Mark Garten |
Ana Yancy Espinoza Quiros, the Coordinator of Peace and Human
Security Area at the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress,
attributed the heightened violence in Central America to its
status as a "post-conflict society", in addition to
major inequality throughout the region. Public security is becoming
increasingly inefficient and the "State cannot control
emerging violence". Mr. Quiros also credited the violence
to the deterioration of family values, which further leads to
domestic violence. Firearms have also become a core problem,
feeding into a society of violence. Organized crime relates
to the problem of the overwhelming amount of firearms permeating
the region. Private security concerns have risen and the State
is incapable of creating a secure living environment for its
citizens. He stated that the "laws are rather faulty and
permissive". Widespread inequality throughout Central America
directly correlates with acts of violence.
Drugs and violence still plague the countries of Central
America. Expert panelists were able to bring light to the
issues of security and violence that the region currently
faces. According to Mr. Thale, "responses to youth violence
need to be inter-sectoral and community-based". The various
panelists agreed that intensive social programmes, such as
coalitions, need to be initiated to become the positive agents
of change in society.
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