U.S. Peace Corps pulls out of El Salvador over violence, security
U.S. Peace Corps pulls out of El Salvador over violence, security
Source: Reuters - Wed, 13 Jan 2016 19:31 GMT
By Anastasia Moloney
BOGOTA, Jan 13 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The U.S. Peace Corps has suspended its projects in El Salvador over safety concerns as the Central American nation struggles to stem rising murder rates and gang violence.
The Peace Corps, an overseas volunteer program, said in a statement that due to the "ongoing security environment," about 55 Peace Corps volunteers working across El Salvador on social and youth development programs were no longer safe in a country with one of the world's highest murder rates.
"The agency will continue to monitor the security situation in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador to determine when the program can resume," said a statement published on Monday on the embassy website.
El Salvador, a nation of 6.4 million people, is racked by drug-fueled violence, with entire city neighborhoods controlled by powerful gangs known as maras.
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