The surge in drug trafficking and violent crime in Central America has highlighted the perennial problem of lawlessness along the borders of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. A report from the Regional Migration Study Group, supported by MacArthur through grantees Migration Policy Institute and the Latin American Program/Mexico Institute of the Wilson Center, outlines the long-standing pattern of government inattention to these border regions, probing the root causes that range from institutional, economic, and resource challenges to corruption and weak government structures. The authors argue that a focus on borders is misleading and that governments should focus instead on creating a secure rule of law and providing state services, especially security, within border communities.
