The Spanish-French filmmaker Christian Poveda has been shot dead in El Salvador. The 52-year-old was gunned down by unknown assailants in the north of the capital San Salvador.

Shortly before his murder, Mr Poveda had been filming in a district controlled by the notorious youth gang Mara 18. His death has led to an outcry in El Salvador. President Mauricio Funes has strongly condemned the murder.

Christian Poveda was a war correspondent during the civil war in El Savador in the 1980s and 1990s. Last year he was given international recognition for his documentary on street violence in the country. In La Vida Loca (The Crazy Life), he closely followed day-to-day life in the extremely violent Mara 18 gang.

It is thought he has been killed by members of the same gang. An estimated 30,000 underprivileged youths in El Salvador belong to gangs involved in drug pushing, extortion and violence.
 

Photo: Christian Poveda - San Salvador Film Festival/ La Vida Loca film/ Mara 18 members - Victor J Blue