El Salvador this year became most violent peacetime country on earth
Now Salvadoran crime lords just called a 'truce' in the face of the increasingly violent government 'war' on gangsters
Rivalry between three gangs, Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Sureños, and MS 13, has driven up murder rate to around one person an hour in the last three months
Violence has intensified since President Cerén declared 'war' on gangs
Days ago, Cerén announced 'extraordinary' new measures start next week
Continue to story after the cut ...
Photo: Juan Carlos
This year, El Salvador usurped Honduras to become the most violent peacetime country in the world. The violence is borne out of the vicious gang rivalry (Barrio 18 members pictured)
El Salvador's three biggest gangs have united to announce a nationwide ceasefire on all homicides and violence for 72 hours to persuade the president to stop his hard-line 'war' on the brutal network which kills one person every hour.
In a video provided to Daily Mail Online by local TV, one man from each of the notorious gangs - Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Sureños, and MS 13 - announced the unprecedented move on Saturday.
It comes days after President Salvador Sánchez Cerén vowed to unleash 'extraordinary' new measures next week in his self-professed 'war' on gangs.
He has already ordered killings of gang members and armed takeovers of gang hot spots.
Addressing the president, the gang members claim they will personally ensure there are no killings, massacres, or attacks between now and Wednesday to demonstrate their control over the gang-related crime which has made El Salvador the most violent peacetime country in the world.
Twelve hours into the truce, there had been no homicide reports anywhere in the country. There are usually at least 12 killings by mid-morning.
President Cerén (pictured) vowed to unleash 'extraordinary' new measures next week in his self-professed 'war' on gangs. He has already ordered killings of gang members and armed takeovers of gang hot spots
'You cannot get rid of gangs, we are part of our country's community. We have the tools to destroy the political infrastructure of this country,' says one man, whose face is covered by a bandanna and voice distorted.
'We have ordered every member of our gang to cease homicides of all kind nationwide to show the general public, the government, and international powers in our country that there is no need to bring in measures which will simply destroy the constitution and all the laws that depend on it.'
This year, El Salvador usurped Honduras to become the most violent peacetime country in the world, with almost 3,000 deaths in the last three months alone.
Last year there were 100 deaths per 100,000 residents - the highest murder rate of any country in at least 20 years.
The violence is borne out of the vicious rivalry between Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Sureños, and Mara Salvatrucha (also known as 'MS 13').
The US Peace Corps even withdrew all operations from the country in January amid security fears.
The killings have intensified since President Cerén declared 'war' on the 'maras' (youth gangs). His measures included classifying gangs as terrorist groups, capturing and killing suspected gang members, and sending the army into gang hot spots.
Earlier this month Cerén tabled a plan to call a nationwide state of emergency in the hubs of the gangs.
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