Because of factors such as business closures and lack of opportunities, it is estimated that criminal activity costs Honduras and El Salvador 16% of GDP, and in the case of Guatemala, its losses could amount to 7% of its production.
In Central America, the human costs of crime remain one of the highest in the world. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—referred to as the Northern Triangle— account for about four-and-a-half percent of homicides worldwide despite only having about one-half-percent of the world's population.
After three soldiers were killed in Izabal, Guatemalan business sector asks the government to regain control of the territories where criminal groups dominate.
On several occasions, business chambers have denounced that organized crime groups operate in the area from the Polochic Valley to Izabal, thus affecting productive activity in the area.
Businessmen from Central America and the Dominican Republic ask that ILO Convention 190 not be ratified, arguing that countries already have regulations to deal with violence and harassment in the workplace.
The Federation of Private Entities of Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic (Fedepricap), through a statement dated August 9, reported that they agreed to request from the governments "... the non-ratification of Convention 190 of the International Labor Office (ILO), on which there was already a declaration against employers, with the purpose of not harming the generation of jobs.
The bill being discussed in Costa Rica basically seeks to extinguish the assets of organized crime, but there are those who claim that as proposed, it puts at risk the presumption of innocence of individuals.
The extinction of domain is a concept that in practice refers to seizing or confiscating assets linked to criminal activities, and then transferring them in favor of the State.
A report by InSight Crime highlights the homicide rate registered in Costa Rica in 2017, which was 12.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest number in its history.
The report indicates that Costa Rica is a country that has traditionally been considered "peaceful," and in respect to the escalation of the homicide rate, an increase that local authorities attribute to organized crime, the report indicates that "... lack of retrospective and a vague methodology is weakening the authorities' attempts to attribute blame to organized crime."
The agricultural sector has denounced that some agricultural companies have closed their operations because of the crime wave affecting the country's rural areas.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Agriculture:
Companies have to allocate up to 15% of expenses to security services, as a result of the growing violence in the country.
A company wishing to operate in Guatemala has to allocate between 8 to 15% of its expenses to security in order to keep operating. The figure was provided by Victor Guillen, manager of purchases, imports and exports at Dagas, and published by Elperiodico.com.gt, who revealed that his company earmarked Q250 thousand ($32,000) per month for the security of its plants, trucks and workers.
Diagram showing the people and companies identified by actions related to money laundering, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury´s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
It has been announced that deposits up to $9,200 (L200,000) per person will be returned, and then payments to employees, depositors and others, noting that "... there are sufficient resources to address them all."
The cause is the inclusion of the institution in the list of the U.S Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the freezing of its assets abroad.
In the view of entrepreneurs the increase of 12% in the flow of tourists reported by the Inguat in 2014 is not real, as they state that this includes people crossing the border but not for reasons of tourism activities.
Representatives from the Commission on Sustainable Tourism at the Guatemalan Exporters Association (Agexport) argue that "... 40% of visitors to El Salvador are not real, since many cross the border to take advantage of the exchange rate. The same is true with the 56% increase of Chinese tourists, many of whom are workers. "
"Receiving a call from an unknown bully asking for a large sum of money in return for not carrying out his threats is one of the biggest fears of Guatemalan citizens."
The private sector in Guatemala has presented the government with a comprehensive plan for security and justice, which aims to reduce the incidence of violence by 2021 and improve the country's competitiveness.
Taken from the Foundation for Socio-Economic Development of Guatemala:
Four armed attacks, in just ten days, against trucks carrying drinks inside the capital reflects the impunity of organized criminals.
According to investigations by the authorities, the attacks in different areas of the capital were made in response to non-payment of extortion fees on the part of some beverage distributors.
Generators have reported energy theft, kidnapping from substations, staff being held hostage and looting of equipment and facilities.
Calling on the authorities and the Public Ministry to implement measures to combat insecurity and act against the "anti-projects" groups who are opposing the operation of power plants in various parts of the country, representatives from the sector reported that in the renewable energy category alone, these conflicting groups are holding up 12 projects in Huehuetenango, Alta Verapaz and Zacapa, with a total generating capacity of 355 megawatts.
Drug trafficking and gangs are the main factors responsible for intentional murders in the most violent countries in the world: Honduras, Belize, El Salvador and Guatemala.
According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime at the United Nations (UNODC), in 2012 Honduras recorded 90.4 killings per 100,000 inhabitants.
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