El Salvador

Crime and poverty were expected to dominate the agenda of talks between President Mauricio Funes and U.S. President Barack Obama, who is visiting El Salvador as part of his Latin American tour, Time magazine says. Funes may particularly seek the United States’ assistance in dissolving partnerships between local Mara youth gangs and drug cartels in Mexico. The magazine notes that Funes is likely to receive support on this issue as El Salvador is already a base for the U.S.’s regional anti-narcotic efforts.