Vigil: Commemorating 100 Days of the Gang Truce In El Salvador

The Transnational Advisory Group In Support of the Peace Process in El Salvador invites all of you The commemoration of 100 days the gang truce has brought peace in our neighborhoods of El Salvador. Under skepticism and criticism, The gang members continue forward into a long term peace process.#
The gangs have made good will gestures to the community by declaring that the schools are now "Safe Zones" and no force recruitment will take place, to gain community support. Although this is not the answer that we would expect from our men and women who have been killing themselves over letters and numbers, this is a positive step forward as supporters of the peace process we ask for a total stop to all illicit activity. We cannot say that the zero tolerance initiatives pushed by the former president and continued by our current president in El Salvador has reduced violence because repression tactics have made this problem bigger. As such we need to understand that the gang members have been part of the problem, in so, they should be part of the solution.

The time is now to invest in our youth and bring economic development programs to El Salvador. Programs that will hire our youth who are living in poverty and stop our youth from joining gangs.

There have been over 700 deaths prevented since the truce started. So let's give this historic gang truce a chance.

*Bring several candles*