Internacionales
Latin America and the Caribbean continue to be regions with high homicide rates, according to UN study
December 8 |
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Homicide Survey has revealed that, in 2021, most of the countries with the highest homicide rates in the world are in Latin America and the Caribbean. Notable exceptions include South Africa, Myanmar and Iraq. Jamaica, in particular, stands out as the country with the highest homicide rate globally.
The Latin America and Caribbean region accounted for 27% of the 458,000 homicides recorded worldwide in 2021, consolidating its position as the most violent area on the planet, despite the overall downward trend. Countries such as Ecuador, Nicaragua and Panama are mentioned as exceptions to the general decline.
In 2021, eight of the ten countries with the highest homicide rates globally were in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to data compiled by UNODC. Not only does the region consistently maintain the highest homicide rate among all sub-regions, but it also led the world in the proportion of homicides related to organized crime.
Despite the high rates, the study indicates that the region has experienced a downward trend in homicide rates since 2017, especially due to the decline in Brazil. Between 2017 and 2021, the homicide rate in the region decreased by almost 14%. However, the evolution has been uneven, with some countries, such as Guatemala, experiencing increases in 2021 after years of decline.
Bolivia stands out as the country with the lowest homicide rate in the region, pointing to the diversity of situations in Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of security and crime.
Internacionales
Juan Orlando Hernández’s family takes time to decide next steps after surprise U.S. release
Ana García, the wife of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was pardoned on Monday by U.S. President Donald Trump after being sentenced in 2024 to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking and firearms charges, told EFE on Wednesday that the family has not yet decided whether he will return to Honduras.
“We have not made any decision about that yet. Everything is still very recent, and as a family we are going to take the time to reflect carefully and make wise decisions thinking about the well-being of Juan Orlando, our children, and all our families,” García said at her residence in Tegucigalpa.
García wore around her neck her husband’s wedding ring, which she has kept since Hernández was held at a special police detention facility known as the ‘Cobras’ on the day of his arrest, February 15, 2022.
“We are still deciding many things. He has just been released, it has not even been 48 hours since he got out. So we are taking things calmly,” she reiterated.
She also explained that since she does not have a U.S. visa — revoked after her husband was requested for extradition following the end of his presidency in January 2022 — she has not been able to see him, but said she is “awaiting some form of communication from the United States” in order to do so.
García declined to reveal where in the United States her husband is currently located, although she stressed that she is confident she will have an opportunity to reunite with him.
Internacionales
One killed, 188 evacuated as wind-driven blaze rips through Kyushu neighborhood
One person died and 188 residents were evacuated after a massive fire swept through at least 170 buildings in a residential area on the island of Kyushu, southern Japan, authorities reported on Wednesday.
The regional government confirmed one fatality. Public broadcaster NHK reported that police, who had been searching for a missing 76-year-old man, found a body inside his home.
Footage recorded on Tuesday night showed firefighters spraying water on towering flames engulfing homes, while residents were escorted to an improvised evacuation center.
“The flames rose so high they turned the sky red. The wind was strong. I never imagined it would spread so far,” a man told NHK.
“I was shaking with fear. I had never seen a column of fire like that,” another witness said.
The fire broke out late Tuesday, with at least 170 buildings affected. According to NHK, the blaze spread rapidly, likely fueled by a lack of rainfall, dry air, and the tightly packed wooden houses characteristic of the area.
Internacionales
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupts, sends ash 13 km high and forces evacuations
Mount Semeru, located in eastern Java and about 310 kilometers west of the popular tourist destination of Bali, erupted at 07:13 GMT, spewing pyroclastic flows, according to Indonesia’s geological agency chief, Muhamad Wafid.
“The public is advised to refrain from any activity within an 8-kilometer radius of the crater or summit of Mount Semeru due to the risk of falling volcanic rocks,” the official said in a statement. The national disaster management agency reported that the ash column rose as high as 13 kilometers.
Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari added that at least 300 residents living near the volcano were evacuated to two temporary shelters. No casualties have been reported so far.
The geological agency also noted that seismic activity at Mount Semeru remains high.
Authorities at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport stated that flights are operating normally for the time being.
A previous eruption of Semeru in 2021 killed more than 50 people, damaged over 5,000 homes, and forced nearly 10,000 residents to seek refuge.
Indonesia is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes.
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Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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