What are the most powerful gangs in El Salvador?

M-18 and MS-13 are the largest and most notorious in El Salvador. M-18 is also known as 18th Street and M-13 as Mara Salvatrucha.

What are the two main gangs in El Salvador?

10 Facts About Gangs in El Salvador

• There are two main rival gangs in El Salvador: MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) and 18th Street (Barrio 18).
• As of 2018, El Salvador ranked 5 among countries with the highest homicide rates in the world.

What does MS-13 stand for?

Mara Salvatrucha
Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1970s and 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area.

Is El Salvador the most violent country in the world?

Violent crime is rampant in El Salvador, in 2012 the homicide rate peaked at 105 homicides per 100,000 residents. In 2016, the rate decreased by 20%, but El Salvador continues to be one of the world’s most dangerous countries.

How bad is El Salvador’s crime?

El Salvador has one of the highest crime rates in Latin America. Violence between gangs is common and targets are usually rival gang members or the military and police. Most visits to El Salvador are trouble-free but there have been isolated attacks on tourists including robberies, car-jackings and violent assaults.

What other colors do Bloods wear?

Membership (est.) The Bloods are a primarily African-American street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. It is identified by the red color worn by its members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs.

How unsafe is El Salvador?

Despite having a high crime rate, El Salvador is not dangerous for tourists to visit. Crime in El Salvador has declined and is isolated to specific areas that tourists will never enter. These high crime zones are similar to others in Central America; they are linked directly to drugs smuggling and gangs activity.

What is bad about El Salvador?

Are MS13 street gangs taking over El Salvador’s border territory?

El Salvador’s land smuggling routes have been revived of late, and some cells of the country’s largest street gang — the MS13 — have made inroads in border territories once exclusively controlled by El Salvador’s large trafficking groups.

How has the security crisis affected violence against women in El Salvador?

Within the current security crisis, gang and security force violence has exacerbated a broader, long-standing acceptance of violence against women. More than half of all Salvadoran women say they have suffered some form of violence in their lives.

What are the rival gangs in El Salvador?

There are two main rival gangs in El Salvador: MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) and 18th Street (Barrio 18). They have claimed unofficial territories in several regions in El Salvador and have been known to engage in several criminal activities including murder, rape and extortion.

How can we reduce gang violence in El Salvador?

There are local efforts to reduce gang violence in El Salvador. Creative is a nonprofit organization that employs young people who are at risk of getting involved with gangs.