Dear: Reader

InSight Crime is pleased to announce the launch of one of its most anticipated publications of the year: The 2023 Homicide Round-Up. In this edition, we examine the region using an interactive map and analyze the organized crime dynamics behind the homicides in each Latin American country.

During 2023, at least 117,000 homicides were reported in Latin America and the Caribbean, which put the median homicide rate at about 20.1 per 100,000 people. But homicide data in many countries is either non-existent or unreliable, so the actual figure is likely to be higher.

Several countries in the Caribbean registered the highest homicide rates in 2023 due to arms trafficking and disputes over cocaine trafficking routes. In Central America, Costa Rica had its most violent year, while El Salvador’s homicide rate reached historic lows thanks to its mano dura (iron fist) policies, though experts question the accuracy of the official data. In South America, Ecuador experienced its most violent year after a period of calm, raising concerns about whether other countries could face similar situations in the future.

To produce this special report, our investigative team dedicated several months to the collection, processing, and analysis of data, which we supplemented with findings from our fieldwork. A downloadable PDF version of the 2023 Homicide Round-Up is also available.

The work we do at InSight Crime is costly and high-risk. We invite you to make a contribution to our work, to help us continue enriching the debate on organized crime in the Americas.

Visit our website to explore the 2023 Homicide Round-Up and access the full analysis. You can also download the publication here.

Sincerely,    

The InSight Crime team

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