“Urban Killing Fields:” International Humanitarian Law, Gang Violence, and Armed Conflict on the Streets of El Salvador

Abstract

Summary El Salvador is currently one of the most violent countries in the world with rates of violent death second only to Syria. With gangs running rampant and state security forces unchecked, the streets have become “urban killing fields”1 while the rest of the world has turned a blind eye to the atrocities. It is time for the international community to refocus on El Salvador and work towards a solution to this dire humanitarian crisis. To that end, it is imperative that the gang violence in El Salvador should be understood by the global community as an internal “armed conflict” under international humanitarian law. By recognizing the violence in El Salvador as an “armed conflict,” international attention to resolving this human rights tragedy will increase, and Salvadoran gang leaders and government forces can be prosecuted internationally for war crimes and crimes against humanity.