The most concrete outcomes of the Sixth Summit of the Americas were the creation of a new regional anti-crime body, and the commissioning of a study on drug policy from the Organization of American States (OAS).
Authorities in Nicaragua have reported "isolated cases" of foreign gang members in the country, illustrating the growing prominence of street gangs throughout Central America.
The US should focus its anti-crime strategy in Central America on strengthening the court system and the police force, rather than military aid and drug interdiction, according to recommendations by US think-tank the Council on Foreign Relations.
As drug gangs like the Sinaloa Cartel continue to penetrate Central America, even state institutions in relatively peaceful Costa Rica are increasingly infiltrated by organized crime.
At least 13 inmates have been killed in a riot and subsequent fire in a prison in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, highlighting systemic flaws in the country’s overcrowded prison system.
Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina has begun the process of renewing the mandate of a valuable United Nations-backed anti-impunity organization, easing fears about his commitment to judicial reform in the country.
Honduras’ record level of violent crime is costing the Central American country 10 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) every year, according to a World Bank representative.
There are already concerns that Honduras' fledgling efforts at police reform are doomed to fail. But the other proposed approach -- giving the military permanent policing powers -- seems like an even worse prospect.
The Guatemalan defense minister says his goverment has fulfilled the necessary obligations for the US to lift its ban on military aid to the country, but President Otto Perez's recent support for drug legalization may make American lawmakers less willing to do so.
In recent years, officials have expressed increasing concern about the influence of Central American street gangs, known as “maras,” in South America; but while street gangs are on the rise in the region, they are a different beast.
