Violence & Salvation: Homicides in El Salvador & Religion in Latin America (Lp6192015)

Violence and salvation are the themes this week on Latin Pulse. The alarming rise in homicide rates in El Salvador catches our attention and the program discusses the causes and how the government is reacting to the rise in gang-related violence. The reaction seems to be extrajudicial killings and the return of death squads. The program also includes an analysis about the shift of religious beliefs in Latin America, including the rise of evangelicals and religious pluralism. The news segment of the program covers the latest votes related to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and special trade authority for President Barack Obama. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Hector Silva of the Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS) at American University; and Andrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Producer: Jim Singer; and Production Assistant: Sierra Hancock. The photo of Salvadoran gang members is from InSight Crime using a Creative Commons licensing agreement: http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/el-salvador-gang-truce-technically-finished-police Produced for release on June 19, 2015. The program is produced through the support of Webster University: www.webster.edu/