Members of Mara Salvatrucha listen to a mass in Ciudad Barrios, San Salvador, El Salvador. Edgar Romero/DPA/PA Images,. All rights reserved
This article is published as part of our series Which Violence in Latin America? in partnership with the University of Santiago in Chile
El Salvador is home to the most violent gangs in the world. Both the 18th Street gang (Barrio 18) and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) began in Los Angeles, California in the 1960s and 1980s, respectively. As the gangs evolved over time they created security issues for the United States government. The Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 led to the deportation of many gang members back to their home countries in Central America. Not surprisingly, such policies contributed to the expansion of the gangs throughout the region. In 2012, the United States Department of Treasury labeled MS-13 as a transnational criminal organization. Both MS-13 and the 18th Street gangs partake in a variety of illicit activities. The most profitable activity of these gangs in El Salvador is extortion. People living and working within communities are required to pay rent (renta) to the gangs or they can face serious consequences.
