Coffin capital of El Salvador

There were 1254 homicides in El Salvador during the first four months of 2018, for an average of slightly more than 10 per day.  There is no silver lining to that story.   

But for one town in El Salvador, the death toll produces a steady stream of business.   An article in Al Jazeera brings the story of Jucuapa, the coffin capital of El Salvador. An excerpt:

Caskets now sit in the front windows of one-time bakeries and other shops, whose facades are still intact, but now have the distinct odour of a strong wood varnish.  

The small town of about 18,000 people has been known for more than five years as the country's coffin-making capital.... 

In 2013, Jucuapa started to see a boom in the business. The small municipality has at least 18 registered coffin-making businesses, according to local media. 

"I live only from this business, and up to now, it's enough for me and my family," William, a 50-year-old artisan who only gave his first name, told Al Jazeera.

Read the rest of the article here.