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REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS ACCUSED OF ATTACKING THEIR YOUNG AS ELECTION PLOY.

Article Excerpt
A war on youth has broken out in at least three Central American countries. In Honduras, an elite police unit, known as Cobras, arrested a number of young people alleged to be members of violent groups following congressional passage of a law enabling police and military to arrest them. Masked members of the Cobras raided a house in the poverty-stricken Flor del Campo colonia and arrested five people whom they called members of Mara 18, a much-feared gang (mara). Police said that one of those arrested, Walter Betancourth, had killed 15 police officers. Betancourth told reporters he had not. Before the day was over, police, both the masked variety and the more traditionally costumed, had arrested more than 100 people whom they called "ringleaders."

Honduran President Ricardo Maduro said of the operation, "This is a transcendental step of enormous importance that will help us reduce the incidence of crime significantly." Equally enormous is the scope of planned activity. The government anticipates arresting some 3,000 people it has identified as "gang leaders" throughout the country. The roundup has been named Operacion Liberacion. The police estimated for the press that there are about 33,000 mareros in Honduras.

The Honduran legislature provided police with enabling legislation. Reforms to the Penal Code now allow for sentences of up to 12 years for members of violent gangs. Gang leaders can be...

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