Limits to the International Influence of Central American Gangs

In this article, Gema Santamaría discusses the issue of gangs, a complex phenomenon that has attracted a great deal of public attention lately. According to the author, gangs of young Central Americans —belonging to groups like Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18— are considered criminal organizations with a vertical structure and the ability to coordinate a variety of criminal activities across borders. These gangs are viewed as a threat to Mexico’s security and countries north of Central America, but in reality their international influence is limited to the imitation of identifying marks and violent behavior that are of a cultural, symbolic nature. Central American countries have tried to deal with the problem by implementing “hardline” or so-called “zero tolerance” policies, punishing young people for merely belonging or appearing to belong to gangs, even when they have committed no crime, an approach that has only served to aggravate matters. In the case of Mexico, the author points out that the presence of gangs is limited, that they tend to be less organized and less violent, and that they are not necessarily involved in criminal activities, while their links to organized crime are not altogether clear. Although there is no denying the influence of Central American immigrants passing through Mexico en route to the United States, the problem here is confined to local gangs with social connections (family,
schools, work, etc.), whose links with Central American gangs are limited to the symbolic use of certain tattoos, clothes, graffiti and body language, among other identifying traits.