The global homicide rate in 2017 was 6.1 per 100,000 of the population. That was five years ago, but even while the rate may have fluctuated over the years, 19 countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region - or the LAC as it is known - surpassed that rate in 2021. While the LAC is home to just 9% of the world's population, it the most violent region in the world, and account for one-third of the world's homicides.
And Belize is no exception - it ranked number 5 with a homicide rate of 29 per 100,000 persons.
This country ranked above others such as Mexico, Columbia, and Guatemala, while coming in below Jamaica and Honduras.
Courtney Menzies took a look at the overall figures of the top ten deadliest countries in the LAC region, and has this story.
2021 marked the year when most countries exited lockdowns - or at least had restrictions eased - meaning that a surge in crime was expected. As in Belize, residents of Central American and Caribbean Countries plunged deeper into poverty and with distance learning, many students wandered the streets as targets for gang recruitment.
And by the end of last year, Honduras remained Central America's deadliest country with a homicide rate of 38.6 per 100,000 persons. And while its 3,651 murders last year were alarming, that was way better than the nearly 4,000 reported in 2019. Still, murders of three or more persons occurred on an average of once a week.
Still, Honduras ranks below Jamaica and Venezuela when the Caribbean and the rest of Latin America are taken into consideration. For the second year in a row, Jamaica had the highest murder rate in the entire region, with a total 2021 count of 1,463 - a rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people. According to their police commissioner, three quarters of the homicides were gang-related.
And in Venezuela, homicides dropped by six percent but the murder rate was still 40.9 per 100,000 persons. The country recorded 11,081 homicides in 2021, which averages to about 9 per day. Security forces killed about 6 people per day, and 2,332 homicides were attributed to the victims resisting authorities.
And if you're wondering where Belize ranks, we're at number 5, below Trinidad and Tobago.
The islands of Trinidad and Tobago saw a 12 percent increase in murder last year, with 448 homicides. 33 of those were femicides, including protestors. And other violent crimes, such as shootings, sex crimes, and kidnapping, also increased amid the surge in violence.
And Belize recorded 125 murders, or 29 per 100,000 persons. As you know, this was largely due to gang violence that surged in May and July of last year. There are over two dozen feuding gangs in Belize City and the murder of 15-year-old Dwayne Gabourel had incited a surge in gang violence, leading to the police minister resorting to a state of emergency.
After Belize comes Columbia, whose murder rate hit levels not seen in seven years. 13,709 homicides meant that they had 26.9 homicides per 100,000 persons. Violence surged in the Columbia/Venezuela border, especially in the Catatumbo jungle region, home to an abundance of coca crops.
And then in Mexico, homicides dipped in 2021, but they still surpassed 30,000 murders for the fourth year in a row. This put them at a homicide rate of 26 per 100,000 persons. Just six states accounted for half of all murders. Femicides also increased by a staggering 135 percent.
Puerto Rico follows Mexico with a homicide rate of 19,3 per 100,000, which reversed the declining trend that the island previously had.
Brazil saw 18.5 per 100,000, reaching nearly 40,000 by the end of last year. This gives the country the highest murder count, surpassing Mexico, Columbia, and Venezuela. But it is ranked at number 9 because it is also the region's most populous country.
And coming in at number 10 is El Salvador, with a homicide rate of 17.5 per 100,000. 1,140 recorded homicides meant the country saw a decrease, though not as much as 2020, when murders were slashed in half. However, back in November, they recorded 46 murders in three days, with 22 occurring on a single day - which they attribute to gangs.
Figures in that story were drawn from the InsightCrime website.
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