Latin Music, Violence, and Grupo Bimbo (2)

Violence in Latin America is often talked about negatively. That's no surprise: 15 out of the 20 most violent cities globally are Latin American, and 9 are in Mexico. Regarding total homicides, many countries in our region have had steady rises for years. However, one important metric is less discussed: homicide rate per 100,000 people. In theory, this metric can tell us whether a population has become more or less violent over time because it factors in population growth. For example, suppose a country composed of 100 citizens had 20 homicides in 1990. Then in 2019, that same country grew to 200 citizens, and 21 homicides were reported. Did that country become more violent? In fact, when we look at homicide rates, the story is positive for half of Latin America. Half of Latin American countries (everything from Honduras to the right on the chart) have dropped their homicide rates. Peru stands out with the most significant drop and the lowest homicide rate in 2019. Its latest rate is lower than that of the United States. On the other hand, Venezuela has experienced the biggest increase in homicide rate, a whopping 156% since 1990. The rise has been attributed to the country's poor political and economic environment over the last few decades.