Crime in Guatemala

Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime and homicide rates in Latin America. In the 1990s, four Guatemalan cities were featured in Latin America's top ten cities by murder rate: Escuintla (165 per 100,000), Izabal (127), Santa Rosa Cuilapa (111), and Guatemala City (101). According to The New Yorker, in 2009, "fewer civilians were reported killed in the war zone of Iraq than were shot, stabbed, or beaten to death in Guatemala", and 97% of homicides "remain unsolved". Much of the violent nature of Guatemalan society stems back to a 36-year-long civil war; however, not only has violence maintained its presence in the post-war context following the Guatemalan Civil War, but it has extended to broader social and economic forms of violence. Prison overcrowding is also a major concern, and it has been linked to extortion and gang activity.

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