There
are an estimated 1.6 million guns in Central America, of which
about 500,000 are legally registered.
Many of these weapons are remainders from military conflicts in the region in
the 1970s and 80s, most notably in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.
After these conflicts ceased
thousands of military weapons ended up on the illicit market
in those nations. From there they
have begun to flow into countries with less history of widespread
armed violence, such as Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama.
Top small arms exporters to the region include the USA, Spain, Belgium, Thailand, Germany, Canada, Venezuela and the Philippines.
Small arms play a crucial role in the drug trade, which passes
from Colombia through the region on to the United States. With
billions of dollars at their disposal, drug barons have armed their
armies with military-style weapons that often outclass national
police arsenals. The network developed to ship drugs now also supplies
arms, as well.
Firearms are used to commit more than 70% of all homicides in El
Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
At the regional level, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Nicaragua and Panama have ratified the
OAS
Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of & Trafficking in Firearms,
Ammunition, Explosives & other Related Materials . The Convention seeks to reduce the illegal small arms trade in
the region through the adoption of minimum standard national gun
laws and through increased information sharing among law enforcement
agencies.
IANSA partner organizations in the region are working to:
