In the twenty years since the signing of the Peace Accords, El Salvador has made impressive progress in expanding political and media freedoms, reforming the military and security forces, lowering rates of poverty and inequality, improving respect for human rights, and reforming electoral institutions. Today, however, El Salvador faces unprecedented security and economic challenges. An upsurge in transnational crime, including narcotics, weapons, and human trafficking, has intersected with longstanding problems of gang violence such that El Salvador suffers one of the highest homicide rates in the world. El Salvador’s economy continues to struggle amidst the global recession and weak economic recovery in the United States, the country’s largest export market.

A conference to examine the effects of the Rio de Janeiro Pacifying Police Units (UPPs).

The Red Centroamericana de Pensamientos e Incidencia discussed their recently published paper, “Following the Money Trail in Central America: Money Laundering and Implications for Regional Security.”

On October 27th, 2011, the Mexico Institute was pleased to host renowned Mexican poet Javier Sicilia's for a discussion on the current state of violence in his home country. Sicilia was joined by colleagues from the movement he co-founded: Peace Movement in Mexico.