The number of intentional homicides in Mexico increased by 6.43% per year last January to reach 2,582 murders, an average of more than 83 per day, as reported on Tuesday by the Secretariat for Security and Protection of Citizens (CPSS).
This data is compared to the 2,426 homicides in the first month of 2022 and implies a monthly increase of 2.1% from the 2,529 murders last December.
Despite the rebound, SSPC chief Rosa Icela Rodríguez argued the figure was 16% lower than the all-time high of 3,074 homicides in July 2018.
“The trend remains downward. Among victims of intentional homicide, there is a significant decrease compared to previous years,” the secretary said during the morning government conference.
With these figures, there have been a total of 31,127 homicide victims over the past 12 months, an average of 85 per day and a decrease of 5.5% from the same previous period, when there were had 32,936, a daily average of 90.
The official said homicides decreased by 10.8% during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s six-year term (2018-2024) compared to the end of former President Enrique Peña Nieto’s term (2012- 2018).
Rodríguez explained that six states concentrate almost half of the homicides: the State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco and Guerrero, which together account for 1,189 of these crimes.
MORE FEDERAL CRIMES, FEWER FEMICIDES
Data from the Secretary of Security also shows a 13.72% year-over-year increase in federal crimes in January, when there were 6,042.
Although it is the beginning of the year with more crimes from the last three, Rodríguez maintained that “in the criminal incidence of crimes in the federal jurisdiction, there is a reduction of 33.3% (compared to the beginning of the government). As far as most crimes are concerned, they have been with significant reductions.
The official announced year-over-year declines of 37.5% in organized crimes, more than 21% in financial crimes and 11.2% in those committed by public officials.
But there were increases of 1.3% in health crimes (drug-related) and 2.2% in tax crimes.
While in January 51,591 robberies of all kinds were reported, 4.59% more than the 49,327 a year earlier.
In contrast, there were 72 femicides, gender-based killings of women, a reduction of 11.11%.
“In the case of feminicide, the crime is also seen to drop by 28.7% (compared to the beginning of the sexennium). Remember that it is from 2020 that this crime is typified and begins to count”, said Rodríguez .
These figures are reported after the 7.1% annual drop in homicides in 2022, when Mexico recorded 30,968 murders after the two most violent years in its history, under the mandate of López Obrador, with 34,690 murder victims. in 2019 and 34,554 in 2020, followed by 33,308 in 2021.