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Representatives of El Salvador's private sector have called on President Mauricio Funes to strengthen existing legislation and increase the role of the military in combating the country's perilously high levels of violent crime. The announcement further highlights deep splits within the country as to how best to combat a homicide rate which climbed to the highest level in a decade in 2009. Funes has already been heavily criticised by civil society groups, which have called on the government to renege on its 'firm hand' policy in favour of measures designed to tackle the root causes of violent

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