Nicaragua, taking different response to drug trade, reduces violence

Forensic personnel prepare about 400kg of cocaine to be burnt in Tegucigalpa on May 11, 2012. The drug was seized this week in a joint operation, between the Police and the Army in La Mosquita, on the border with Nicaragua.

Unlike many of its neighbors, Nicaragua has taken a different approach to drug violence. "One analyst I spoke with said the choice that Nicaragua is taking is the lesser of two evils," said Eyder Peralta of NPR.

Nicaragua is Central America's largest country. It has a long coastline that runs along both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

That makes it a prime location for the drug trade going from South America north to the U.S.

But unlike many of its neighbors, Nicaragua has taken a different approach to drug violence. And though poverty is still a major issue, it's managed to avoid the high levels of violence in places like Mexico or nearby Honduras.

"One analyst I spoke with said the choice that Nicaragua is taking is the lesser of two evils," said Eyder Peralta of NPR. Instead of fighting "fire with fire," or relying on a strong military response, officials appear to be taking a different approach, he said.

"They can sort of allow it to go through its territory and there's no turf war and that creates a peaceful place," said Peralta, noting that the coastal city Bluefields has a murder rate that's a fraction of cities in nearby countries.

Though some reports indicate that the trade may just be moving elsewhere, the contrast to other countries is noteworthy.

Peralta reported from Nicaragua's Caribbean coast and joins Take Two.