1. Religious Responses to Gang Violence in Central America – An Update
Start with my story: 6 years in C.A.; interest in religious responses to violence; lib theo done; violence was changing, no longer political
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

2. The Social Problem: Central America’s “New Violence”
Motivated by economics and identity, not politics
Higher levels of violent death than during most of the civil war years
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

3. The Gangs of Central America: From pandilla to mara
Youth street gangs date to at least 1970s
Latino gang members from L.A. arrived in San Salvador in 1992
Grew quickly, co-opted, networked local gangs
Approximately 30,000-65,000 gang members in the Northern Triangle
Recent growth of “imitation” gang violence
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

4. Los mareros: The perfect scapegoat
Mara Dieciocho (M-18)
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)
Vatos Locos
White Fence
All emerged among immigrant neighborhoods in U.S.
M-18 has Mexican-American ID
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

5. Government Responses Honduras (Maduro): cero tolerancia
El Salvador (Saca): mano dura and super mano dura
Guatemala: Joint military-police patrols
Foto: AP, En El Diario Hoy (ES) 9/15/04

6. Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College
¡Hasta la morgue!
Tightening of membership rules
Neftalí: “The only way out of here is in your pine-box suit.”
Attempt to exercise social control
Response to “social cleansing”
What is the morgue rule?
Attempt at exercising social control from the inside. (espec. Now that gangs were involved in considerable illegal activity)
We’ll come back to this in a minute.
Now I want to talk about Evangelical-Pentecostalism.
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

7. Religious Context: Late 2000s
Half or less identify as RC
Vigorous competition among evangelicals
Pentecostal
Neo-Pentecostal
Mainline
SOURCES: PROLADES Religion in the Americas Database (Holland 2008), Pew Forum Religious Demographic Profile (Pew 2006), the Intituto Universitario de Opinión Publico (IUDOP 2008), and Consultoría Interdisciplinaria en Desarrollo S. A.
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

8. “Barrio Evangelicalism” in Central America
Small congregations gathering frequently
Pentecostal forms of expression
Emphasis on healing
Strict, sectarian piety
Address each other as “hermanos”
Modest dress
No alcohol!
I use Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism interchangeably b/c most evangs belong to Pente churches or Pentecostalized evang churches.
In many respects, it would be hard to imagine a starker contrast than that of Evangelical-Pentecostalism versus the gangs.
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

9. Evangelical Gang Ministries
Tend to focus on “rescuing” gang members
Use language of “restoration” and spiritual/social support
Refer to gang violence as a “spiritual problem”
Describe what’s going on in the photo

10. Evangelical Gang Ministries Offer: Tools to “reconstruct” identity
Tight social networks of support
Help with finding paid, legal work
Time hoarding
Emotionally engaging rituals
“Alternative masculinities”
Help with avoiding the “morgue rule”
Describe what’s going on in the photo

11. The “evangelical exemption”
Vera (non-convert): “These days, the only way to get out [of the gang] is to get involved in the church one hundred percent. . .
. . . but the gang keeps watch over you day and night to see if you’re actually completing it.”
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

12. Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College
New Developments?
Multiple reports of failed or “faked” conversions
Reports that gangs have now closed all exits
Reports that some gangs now target evangelical ministries
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

13. Catholicism in Central America
Considered “default religion”
Liberationist groups in 1980s
Continuing growth of Charismatic Renewal

14. Catholics Gang Ministries Offer:
Job training
Human rights advocacy
Prevention

15. Catholics Gang Ministries Offer:
Job training
Human rights advocacy
Prevention
Affordable tattoo Removal

16. Religion of Interviewees
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

17. New Developments: Catholic leaders as mediators
2/19/2012: Press leaks “truce” between MS-13 and M18 Gang leaders announce moratorium on killing Catholic Bishop (and Army Chaplain) Mons. Colindres and ex-FMLN Comandante mediate
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

18. New Developments: Salvadorans React
3/15/2012: Police announce 50% reduction in homicides
Firestorm of controversy:
Who authorized?
Negotiation with “terrorists”?
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

19. The Truce: Six months later
August, 2012: Major news outlets pick up story (Time, NYT)
Some U.S. experts question crime reduction
Police report lower homicides but exceptions attract attention
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

20. The Truce: Six months later
Guatemalan, Honduran gang leaders voice interest
Mediators warn that truce is fragile
Mons. Colindres: “We’ve begun down a historic path and we can’t go back now.”
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

21. Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College
Conclusions
Religious people and institutions continue to play a huge role in Latin America
Catholics and evangelicals have distinct cultural tools for addressing gang violence
Catholic church has distinct factions taking different approaches to social problems
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College

22. Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College
¡Mil gracias!
Robert Brenneman, Saint Michael’s College