The United States and Central America: From Stopping Communism to Stopping Kids - Unaccompanied Alien Children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, Impacted by Corruption and Impunity

This excellent report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction - this is not a print replica, and thus it is suitable for all devices.

The Northern Triangle countries of Central America consisting of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have the highest homicide rates in the world and are characterized by corruption, drug trafficking, and impunity. It is likely the 50,000 unaccompanied alien children attempting to cross into the U.S. in 2014 will increase in 2016. The U.S. Congress appropriated $750 million for the region. Based upon past experience with the umbrella program for the region, the Central America Regional Security Initiative, it appears the perilous situation in the region is unlikely to improve. Approaching the problems of the region from a political perspective, this article draws upon the experience of Nicaragua, where the security sector is integrated, and recommends the consideration of the intelligence fusion center concept, proven by the 78 currently functioning in the U.S., to encourage the integration of the security sector under democratic control in the three countries.

Virtually all analysis of problems of crime and violence in the region call attention to impunity. In the most recent United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report on Citizen Security in Latin America they refer to "... alarming levels of impunity…" In a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report the authors state, "Weak state presence, corruption, and criminal infiltration have contributed to widespread impunity, which has further eroded public confidence in Central American governments. Of all the homicides committed in Honduras between 2010 and 2013, for example, only 4% resulted in convictions." Before CICIG was implemented, the Guatemalan legal expert Javier Monterroso Castillo called attention to this problem, stating that only 2.7% of criminal cases result in conviction. It is not accidental that the United Nations organization is named "The International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala."

Contents: The United States and Central America: From Stopping Communism to Stopping Kids * 2019 U.S. Intelligence Community Worldwide Threat Assessment