Tegucigalpa, Honduras (CNN) -- Honduras, the country with the world's highest murder rate, is backing talks between its two most violent gangs in search of a truce.
The Mara Salvatrucha and Calle 18 gangs gave separate statements from a prison in San Pedro Sula on Tuesday, asking forgiveness from the public for the violence and declaring a cease-fire.
Gang members spoke with their faces covered with bandanas to disguise their identities as they pushed for peace.
"We are going to start now. ... We have now spent more than a decade being always involved in crime and mistreatment, which has also affected us, and what we want is peace," a representative of the Calle 18 gang told reporters.
Any step towards peace is needed in this situation, the gangs have agreed to scale down the violence and agree on territory as long as the other party respects their given territory. This is good progress for a area with a very violent past.
Any step towards peace is needed in this situation, the gangs have agreed to scale down the violence and agree on territory as long as the other party respects their given territory. This is good progress for a area with a very violent past.
Story and video coverage here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/28/world/americas/honduras-gang-truce/index.html?hpt=wo_bn5
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