Washington's Voz - Duncan to discuss gangs in El Salvador

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Duncan to discuss gangs in El Salvador

Alex Ormaza
Washington's Voz
08/12/2005

Although the trip to El Salvador was a trade mission, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan added gangs to the agenda, after the bloody events of last Friday.

Duncan will be accompanied by Salvadoran born Maryland Delegate Ana Sol Gutiérrez, and other business and community leaders. The main purpose of the trip is to establish business ties between El Salvador and Montgomery County , home of a significant number of immigrants from the Central American nation.

“I also hope he'll get a chance to encounter first hand the poverty that afflicts that country, and understand why its citizens migrate to U.S. , and to Maryland in particular,” said Gutiérrez.

The gang issue that is affecting the entire Metropolitan region moved to front page on Montgomery with the stabbings of six teenagers by member of a rival Salvadoran gang.

Gangs have become a major concern also for Central American nations, which are working together in sharing information, and doing joint operations to curb the problem.

Gutiérrez says that the delegation headed by Duncan expects to put the topic on the table, and think in collaborative ways to approach it.

“Historically we have seen how what happen in El Salvador affects us here in US. The members of those gangs came here after the civil war, and we are still dealing with the issue. I guess we now know we can't afford to ignore it,” said Gutiérrez.

The three day visit to the Central American nation ends on Saturday.