El Salvador Bus Drivers Go on Strike Due To Gang Violence

The prevalence of gangs does not seem to be slowing down. Just recently, an HNGN article covered the arrest of a 12-year-old Omaha teen who was involved in a fatal gang-related incident. In El Salvador, several bus lines in the city have stopped their operations, due to increased gang violence in the city.

Gang violence claimed five bus drivers and one transport worker on Monday morning. Over the weekend, two buses were also torched by gang members who were extorting money from the bus operators, according to Reuters.

The strike has affected the populace, with thousands of commuters left stranded on the streets of the Central American capital. People going to work or school are forced to hop on trucks and other alternative vehicles to get to their destinations. Others have to walk long distances.

Transport Vice Minister Nelson Garcia stated that only a small percentage of the nation's bus operators were affected by the strike. Authorities have also allowed the use of government-owned buses to be used by the populace in the meantime, reports Fox News.

The murder rate in the country has jumped 50 percent during the first five months of the current year, with incidents now numbering 2,192. The violence between two rival gangs, the Mara Salvatrucha and the Barrio 18, are largely to be blamed for the rise in numbers.

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