"Anti-mara Summit" was held. Finally, the governments of the region are in constant coordination to redress the problem of organized crime in Central America. An MS-13 gang member The main target of mara gangs are at-risk youngsters who spend all day long alone in their houses because their parents, who are low-paid workers, have to work hard to make ends meet. These teenagers start to be in contact with gang members since they are in the streets without parental control. Additionally, they are poor and the maras show how easy it is to get money, luxurious cars and expensive stuff by resorting to violence. Gerardo Lopez Gerardo Lopez is part Mexican and Argentinian and born in L.A. He grew up in gang territory in Los Angeles, California. When he joined the Mara gang, he was just 14 years old. There, he gained a reputation for adopting maras’ behaviours and criminal acts. As a result he was imprisoned till his 20s. After that, he decided to quit the gang. He struggled against prejudice and discrimination to achieve his goal of being part of the civil society again. He studied with this purpose in mind so that by following his objective he succeeded in it. Nowadays, he asserts that leaving a gang is possible if one is supported by persons interested in giving them hope and opportunities. Gerardo Lopez is currently the executive director of "Homies Unidos" in Denver which is a gang violence prevention and intervention organization. See also Mara 18 Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13 from Los Angeles) Vatos Locos References External links "How street gangs took Central America"—Foreign Affairs BBC news - Combating El Salvador's gangs Peetz, Peter (2008): Youth, Crime, and the Responses of the State: Discourses on Violence in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, GIGA Working Papers, No. 80 "I was an MS-13 gang member" TED Conferences - Lopez Gerardo Homies Unidos.org - Lopez Gerardo Gangs in El Salvador Gangs in Guatemala Gangs in Honduras Gangs in the United States Hispanic gangs Hispanic-American gangs Latino street gangs