Abstract

ALVAREZ, Alberto Martín; FERNANDEZ ZUBIETA, Ana  and  VILLARREAL SOTELO, Karla. Difusión transnacional de identidades juveniles en la expansión de las maras centroamericanas. Perf. latinoam. [online]. 2007, vol.15, n.30, pp.101-122. ISSN 0188-7653.

The maras Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 are two youth violent gangs with widespread presence in Central America and the United States. These gangs are attracting the attention of the scientific community because of their growing transnational links and the unusual levels of violence deployed. This article posits that the transnational expansion of the maras Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 is largely explained by their ability to generate an attractive identity framework of reference that resounds positively with the cultural background of young men of the Central American area. The policy of deportations of the United States government, the use of "iron hand" measures by some governments of the region and the migratory movements facilitated the diffusion of these identities across Central America throughout the last decade.

Keywords : Central America; youth; violence; maras; transnational diffusion; gangs.

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