Recent reports of violence in Mexico and the struggle between law enforcement and drug cartels would suggest that the country was undoubtedly one of the most violent. However, in light of recent statistics, sadly Venezuela, with an average of 48 homicides per 100,000 people, is quite far ahead of other Latin American countries, reports TSR.
Columbia is in second place in 2010, with an average of 32 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Mexico lands in third place with an average 14 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, the global average is 8 homicides for every 100,000 people.
For years now, the Venezuelan government has stopped publishing crime statistics in a country that has become overrun with corruption, including the police. The capital Caracas has the second highest homicide rate of any large city in the world, with 92 homicides per 100,000 residents.
In 2008, polls indicated that crime was the number one concern of voters. The government recently created a security force, the Bolivarian National Police, which has lowered crime rates in the areas in which it is so far deployed, and a new Experimental Security University.