Spreading Gang Violence Alarms Central Americans (US To Blame)

Washington Post ^ | December 1, 2003 | Kevin Sullivan

[sarcasm]

PUERTO CORTES, Honduras -- The head of a young girl, hacked off with an ax, was found in a burlap bag in October in this industrial port on the Caribbean. The bag also contained a note to President Ricardo Maduro from Mara 18, an ultra-violent street gang, saying that the killing was "in memory" of a gangster who had been killed by police.

< SNIP >

The gang violence is closely connected to the United States, which spent billions of dollars on Central America's wars during the 1980s. Thousands of Central American refugees fleeing the wars streamed into the United States, particularly to Los Angeles, where some joined or formed notorious street gangs such as Mara 18 and Mara Salvatrucha.

The overall effect has been a poisonous mixing of gangs in the United States and Central America. In the United States, gang violence is spreading from its traditional home in Los Angeles to cities across the country, including Washington. Two reputed members of the Mara Salvatrucha were recently convicted in U.S. District Court in Alexandria of murdering a rival gang member. In October, a gang member was killed and a Metro bus driver was wounded in a gang shootout in Mount Pleasant. Gangs have claimed turf from Gaithersburg to Manassas.

[MindBender26]

I'm surprised that the article didn't also find an increase in cardiovascular disease among the indig and blame it on the Big Macs they ate while here!

[DumpsterDiver]

More of the sob story:

"I just want my rights to be respected," he said.

Like the other gang members interviewed, he said he does not consider himself a criminal. He said that while he would have no problem killing another gang member, he would never "hurt an innocent person."

"Here they don't care if you've committed a crime," he said. "They want to judge you just for your tattoos."

What a sad, sad tale of woe. (/sarcasm)

[RippleFire]

bump

[archy]

"Here they don't care if you've committed a crime," he said. "They want to judge you just for your tattoos."

I wonder if one of those he has is doscalvos, the mark of the two skulls....

-archy-/-

[DumpsterDiver]

I wonder if one of those he has is doscalvos, the mark of the two skulls....

I'm not familiar with that one. Here in El Lay I see the teardrop tattoo now and then on the local cholos. There are some pictures of L.A. latino gang tattoos here.

[texastoo]

When the U.S. keeps their borders open with a wink and a nod, who is responsible? Did the U.S. expect only hard working people to cross the borders?

[FITZ]

The gang violence is closely connected to the United States,

Yeah right. They see the middle class white kids and picked up their gang habits from them. The gang violence is closely connected to Mexico and Central America. Criminal gangs are using the border to bring in all kinds of drugs and their leaders are the violent drug lords that rule over Mexico.