Week 8 - Something New
In my final weeks at USIP, I have continued working on researching gang violence in Latin America. However, this time around I have specifically been narrowing my research to countries such as Guatemala and Honduras in addition to EL Salvador. I have been tasked with researching key changes in law and policing related to confronting gang violence. More specifically I have been looking at the ways in which these changes increase or consolidate executive power, restrict civil liberties, disregard human rights and eliminate due process protections. Thus far my research has revealed that the typical behavior displayed by governments trying to control gang violence is acting by force. Oftentimes executive power is increased and civil liberties, human rights along with due process protections are diminished. This also usually leads to overcrowded prisons and many innocent individuals being accused of crimes they have not committed. My research further showcased the difficulty in fostering stability with the continuous change of people in power. Despite organizations such as the UN stepping in and suggesting helpful guidelines for political parties to follow, oftentimes individuals come in positions of powers and make the decision to disregard these suggestions and instead implement what they believe is best. The project I am researching for is aiming to help break this trend and I am excited to see how it positively impacts these countries.