Central America murder rates rise

HONDURAS and El Salvador have the highest homicide rates in the world as killings reach a crisis point in Central America, a United Nations report has said.

The study on homicides by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime blamed organised crime for the region’s surge in violence.

US officials say crackdowns on drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia have pushed gang activity to Central America, which has long been a lucrative corridor for trafficking.

Honduras had 6,200 killings in 2010 out of a population of 7.7 million people, while El Salvador, with 6.1 million people, had 4,000 homicides.

The 2011 Global Study on Homicide calculated a rate of 82.1 homicides per 100,000 people for Honduras and 66 per 100,000 people for El Salvador.

Ivory Coast in west Africa followed with 56.9 and the Caribbean island of Jamaica with 52.1.

Honduras Human Rights Commissioner Ramon Custodio said he was worried about rising crime and feared worse figures were yet to come.

“We have lost the right to live without fear,” Mr Custodio said.

Caribbean countries, most notably Jamaica, have also been affected by drug-related violence, the report said.

Mexico has seen a 65 per cent increase in killings since president Felipe Calderon launched his offensive against drug cartels in late 2006, the report found.