Tag Archives: gang truce

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March 22, 2013

CUBA CENTRAL Newsblast: Cuba and Climate Change

There is a scientific consensus that climate change is real.  Not everyone agrees, but the people who don’t believe it are answering to an awfully scornful title: climate change deniers. Since assuming leadership in 2006, following the illness of his brother, President Raúl Castro initiated a gradual process to update… read more »

March 4, 2013

El Salvador: Informe mensual febrero del 2013

Ya ha pasado casi un año desde que comenzó la incipiente y aún controversial tregua entre las pandillas. En la noche del 8 de marzo y la madrugada del 9 de marzo del 2012, bajo el manto de la oscuridad, se transfirió de una prisión de máxima seguridad a una de mínima seguridad a diversos dirigentes pandilleros, con lo cual dio inició un proceso de paz que continúa hasta la fecha. En pocos días, disminuyó de forma dramática el índice de homicidios. Por ello, El Salvador ya no está incluido en la lista de los países más violentos del mundo y la seguridad ya no encabeza la lista de preocupaciones del pueblo salvadoreño.

January 25, 2013

CUBA CENTRAL Newsblast- Inauguration Week: An emerging vision of a “new normal”

From Havana to Washington, there was a sustained glimpse of what a “new normal” could look like in the U.S.-Cuba relationship. President Obama’s inauguration was broadcast live in Cuba, on Educational Channel 2, Progreso Semanal reports, which carries the Telesur  network live. This is pretty remarkable stuff.  The U.S. didn’t need to send… read more »

January 25, 2013

U.S. Once Again Gives Cold Shoulder to Salvadoran Gang Truce

The historic truce between El Salvador’s powerful and violent street gangs, Mara Salvatrucha (MS) and Barrio 18 has lasted nearly one year. During that time homicides have been reduced from 14 per day before March 8th, 2012 to about five per day in December. El Salvador is no longer the… read more »

January 7, 2013

El Salvador Update: December 2012/El Salvador: Informe mensual diciembre del 2012

A PDF version of the El Salvador Update is available here. A PDF version of the December Peacemaking Chronology is available here. Versión en formato PDF aquí. Summary: 2012 in Review On January 16th 2012, Salvadorans celebrated the 20th anniversary of the peace agreement that ended El Salvador’s civil war. Most,… read more »

December 7, 2012

Cuba Central Newsblast: Women at Work in Cuba

Hello Friends, This is Lisa writing from the Cuba Central team. This past week, Sarah Stephens, CDA’s executive director, and I  took a delegation of 22 women on a people-to-people trip to Cuba.  We worked in collaboration with the Women Donors Network, an organization of philanthropists from across the U.S…. read more »

December 3, 2012

El Salvador Update: November 2012

Salvadorans were relieved by President Barack Obama’s re-election, thus ensuring the continuation of the strategic partnership between the Obama and Funes administrations. “I am pleased,” President Funes commented, because “this gives continuity to the programs we are developing.” Foreign Minister Hugo Martínez expressed the hope of the government that President Obama “focuses on the issue of comprehensive immigration reform” in January. Versión en español en formato PDF aquí.

October 2, 2012

El Salvador Update: August-September 2012

After a long, hot summer of fierce political battles, marathon negotiating sessions, and international pressure, on August 19th political leaders reached an agreement on the contentious issue of Supreme Court justices. The clash over the constitutionality of elections to the Supreme Court was considered by some analysts to be the most serious political crisis since the 1992 Peace Accords. The settlement – mediated by President Funes – was presented as a Solomonic decision with both ARENA and the FMLN making concessions. But, it would appear that the FMLN and its allied parties conceded a little less: the new president of the Constitutional Court— and thus of the full Supreme Court – is José Salomon Padilla, a member of the FMLN.

July 16, 2012

El Salvador gang truce at four months

Blogings by Boz- The El Salvador gang truce/ceasefire/peace process has reduced the murder rate in that country by 52% according to official statistics. There were about 750 fewer murders between March and June of this year compared to 2011. My back of the envelope calculation says that if the truce holds,… read more »

July 13, 2012

El Salvador Blog Update- Salvadoran politicians still engaged in battle; gang leaders promise historic disarmament

Perhaps Salvadoran politicians can learn something about dialogue from the leaders of the country’s powerful gangs. Four months into a truce that has resulted in a dramatic reduction in homicides, the gangs now promise a partial disarmament. Meanwhile, politicians are still engaged in a month-long struggle for power that has paralyzed the legislative and judicial branches of government.

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