The caldron of El Salvador

The online periodical El Faro has published an overview of gang violence in El Salvador and the government's "super iron fist" response to the violence under the title Más represión, más asesinatos, más armas, más reclutamientos (More repression, more murders, more weapons, more recruits) .  The article has been translated into English at the InsightCrime website and is worth a read.   Here's the introduction:

The demand for illicit weapons in El Salvador has surged to such an extent that it has impacted the black market in neighboring Guatemala. Raul Mijango, perhaps the last supporter of a dialogue between the government and gangs as a tool for stopping the rising violence in El Salvador, has stepped aside. Meanwhile, the government is apparently convinced that its bet on Super Mano Dura (“Super Iron Fist”) is the correct path, which it considers to be a lesser evil compared to the country's highest homicide rate since the turn of the 21st century. These are some of the ingredients for the explosive cauldron that is El Salvador.