Violence slashes region’s economic hopes, says World Bank

Rising violence in Central America is costing the region up to 8 percent of gross domestic product, the World Bank said.

"Beyond the trauma and suffering of individual victims, crime and violence carry staggering economic costs at the national level," the bank said in a report.

The atmosphere of insecurity could harm the investment climate in the region and divert already scarce government resources to crime reduction efforts and away from spending to boost economy activity, the bank said.

Original source: Reuters