The current situation of organized crime in Central America is the central topic of a meeting carried out by the general district attorneys of the area, said the Judicial Power of Costa Rica here Monday.

According to the General District Attorney of Costa Rica, Jorge Chavarría, the program of the Net against Organized Crime is giving positive results in the area, although the high indexes of delinquency still persist.

The Office of the United Nations against Drugs and Crime (UNODC), classified Central America as one of the most violent regions in the world and remarked that drug trafficking, traffic of weapons and people are the one with the greatest impact, among other factors. Also it pointed out that several drug cartel dealers operate in the area since Central America is an easy road for the drug shipment to the United States, considered the world’s biggest drug consumer.

In Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama, the smuggling of narcotics increased during the last years, highlighted the entity.

For human rights defender Andres Pavon, the criminal bands known as “maras” act with impunity in nations like Honduras, due to the corruption and the poor work of the justice and the law enforcement systems.

That country, without being at war, possesses the highest homicide rate in the world, with 92 murders for each 100,000 inhabitants, UNODC expressed.

Source: Prensa Latina