| Country: | Guatemala |
| Details of Formation: | The Social Cleansing Squads were inspired by the civil war-era death squads such as the PGM “Eye for an Eye” (Wikipedia). The groups organized and armed themselves and were then given authority by the Interior Ministry in 1995, though they might have existed before that date. In the following years, the Interior Ministry and the National Police created more squads. |
| Details of Termination: | There is no mention of the group after 2008, but there is also no evidence that the group might be terminated. |
| Purpose: | The primary purpose of the Social Cleansing Squads is to fight crime (Wikipedia). It is used by the state because the state’s forces are seen as inefficient in fighting the rising crime rates and Mara gangs. They are also seen as vehicle to deny violence for murders committed against alleged criminals and had the support of the local population. |
| Organisation: | The PGM was authorized by the Interior Ministry, and is run by police and army forces. |
| Weapons and Training: | The squad members are armed with guns. |
| Size: | In 2008, it was estimated that within the police there were eight Social Cleansing Squads with five members each. |
| Reason for Membership: | Some officers in the squads belong to evangelical churches and see social cleansing of gang members as holy work. Others are former combatants (police, guerilla and paramilitary), who dedicated themselves to freelance crime fighting with the support of their communities after the civil war. |
| Treatment of Civilians: | Social Cleansing Squads used beatings, killings, sexual abuses and torture, and enjoy impunity because of their link to the state (Wikipedia). Their targets include criminals, street kids, homosexuals, transvestites, human-rights activists and homeless. |
| Other Information: | Social cleansing, that is the extrajudicial killings of criminals and other 'undesirables', is common in the large cities of Guatemala. |
| References: | Wikipedia. “Social Cleansing”. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Social_cleansing&oldid=993897484 |