Homicides increase in Guatemala...but rate remains nearly the same

Carlos A. Mendoza at the Central American Business Intelligence (CABI) reports that Guatemala's homicide rate is on pace to increase 3 percent in 2013 compared to 2012.

Taking homicides and population growth into consideration, as one should, the rate will finish at approximately 35.2 homicides per 100,000 Guatemalans. That is up from 34.33 homicides per 100,000 in 2012. Given the uncertainty surrounding population estimates and actual homicides, for me, that means no change.

That's at the national level but that doesn't mean that there hasn't been movement within Guatemala. The homicide rate is set to increase in 14 departments (Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Izabal, Jutiapa, Petén, Quetzaltenango, Retalhuleu, San Marcos, Sololá, Suchitepéquez and Zacapa) and to decrease in the remaining 8.