Crime and violence in Central America's northern triangle : how U.S. policy responses are helping, hurting, and can be improved Cristina Eguizábal; Matthew Ingram; Karise M Curtis; Aaron Korthuis; Eric L Olson; Nicholas Phillips

The countries of Central America's Northern Triangle, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, face challenges ranging from some of the world's highest homicide rates, rampant extortion, communities controlled by youth gangs, domestic violence, impunity for most crimes, as well as economic despair and lack of opportunity. Over the past year, the Woodrow Wilson Center's Latin American Program has undertaken an extensive review of the principal United States security assistance program for the region, the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). This review has focused on the major security challenges in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras and how CARSI seeks to address these. This publication includes country reports on each country including a review of the current in-country security context, as well as assessing CARSI's effectiveness for addressing these challenges. The report also includes a chapter providing an in-depth analysis of the geographic distribution of homicides and an examination of how such an analysis can help policy makers design more effective targeted strategies to lower violence. A final chapter outlining policy options for the future completes the report.