Gang Truce in El Salvador Reverberates in Los Angeles
Alex Sanchez (Photo: Lisa Mullins)
Two of El Salvador’s most notorious street gangs got their start in California.
The Mara Salvatrucha — or MS-13 — and its rival the 18th Street Gang were both created by immigrants who had fled El Salvador’s civil war decades ago.
This past March, the Salvadoran branches of the gangs brokered a truce with help from the Catholic church.
Since then, El Salvador’s murder rate has gone down.
Alex Sanchez is a former member of MS-13. He directs Homies Unidos.
It’s a Los Angeles-based group that works with Salvadoran gang members.
Sanchez says the truce back home has reverberated in Los Angeles.
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!