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Homicides in Guatemala: The Challenge and Lessons of Disaggregating Gang-Related and Drug Trafficking-Related Murders

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • 5 April 2018
  • Posted by: Nicolas Devia
  • Number of views: 1764
  • 0 Comments
Homicides in Guatemala: The Challenge and Lessons of Disaggregating Gang-Related and Drug Trafficking-Related Murders

Facing concerning rates of homicide in their countries, the Latin American governments often enact “mano dura” or hardline policies against violence. Those short term remedies to the homicide epidemic in the region are popular and a justification for the use of force on civilians, as well for the increased investment on the armed forces and police departments. Through a discursive process similar to the securitization, governments point the finger at a certain group to rally support for their reactive policies. In Guatemala, the executive branch has made those type of allegations targeting gangs and drug trafficking organizations. The purpose of this study is to determine if those agents are in fact the ones driving the homicide rates in the country. It is imperative to understand the dynamics of homicide to invest carefully in the sectors it is truly needed instead than on the ones that are popular. This is even more important for countries that due to their lack of economic resources need to profit the most form their investments.

Ranking (2017) de las 50 ciudades más violentas del mundo

SEGURIDAD, JUSTICIA Y PAZ: Consejo Ciudadano para la Seguridad Pública y la Justicia Penal A.C.

  • 20 March 2018
  • Posted by: Nicolas Devia
  • Number of views: 4140
  • 0 Comments
Ranking (2017) de las 50 ciudades más violentas del mundo

El ranking presentado por la ONG Mexicana “SEGURIDAD, JUSTICIA Y PAZ: Consejo Ciudadano para la Seguridad Pública y la Justicia Penal A.C.” muestra un panorama oscuro para la seguridad en el continente. De las 50 ciudades más peligrosas del planeta 42 se encuentran en América Latina y 4 en Estados Unidos, para un total de 46 ciudades Americanas dentro de dicho ranking. En comparación con el ranking del 2016 se puede evidenciar la disminución de la violencia en Honduras, donde San Pedro Sula disminuyó su tasa en un 54.34% y el Distrito Central contribuyó así mismo en un orden del 43.59%. Al contrario, la violencia en México se encuentra en preocupante aumento: 5 de las 10 ciudades más violentas son mexicanas y de ellas, la más violenta (Los Cabos) experimentó un aumento en sus homicidios de 500% entre 2016 y 2017. La situación en Venezuela es así mismo de especial consideración; la negativa gubernamental a ofrecer datos fiables sobre la violencia impide hacer un cálculo verificable del fenómeno en el país. Aun así, estimaciones conservadoras por parte de organizaciones de la sociedad civil estiman la tasa de homicidios nacional entre 84 y 92 homicidios por cada 100.000 habitantes.

Violence Prevention & Response as a Part of Emergencies and Health Programming in Haiti

Croix-Rouge Haitienne - Canadian Red Cross

  • 16 March 2018
  • Posted by: Nicolas Devia
  • Number of views: 1669
  • 0 Comments
Violence Prevention & Response as a Part of Emergencies and Health Programming in Haiti

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti left the already impoverished country in a state of crisis. As years passed by reconstruction seemed like an unattainable task and violence, crime and poverty where taking away the happiness and hopes of the Haitian people. The destruction of the education system and therefore the weakening of the system meant a condition of ignorance on many topics, being sexual education one of the most affected. When institutions can’t cope the needs of the citizens and there’s a misconception of what sexuality means, sex is then transformed as an exchangeable good. Women, adolescents and girls found themselves in an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and impunity which normalizes violence in all of its forms, being sexual violence the most relevant one. The work of the Canadian and Haitian Red Cross has been to put in place cultural programs that de-normalize violence and empower young leaders to be agents of transformation in their communities.

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth: Preventing Violence and Harassment at School / Bullying and Youth Suicide: Breaking the Connection.

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

  • 14 March 2018
  • Posted by: Nicolas Devia
  • Number of views: 2021
  • 0 Comments
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth: Preventing Violence and Harassment at School / Bullying and Youth Suicide: Breaking the Connection.

Violence expresses itself through different forms depending on the life stage of a person. Bullying as a mean of discrimination is one of the most common violent practices found in schools all over the Americas. The difference between Bullying and other forms of violence consists in the systematic process of depreciation (and even de-humanization) of a student to the point the victim believes suicide is the only way out. As with other forms of violence, vulnerable communities such as the LGBTQ bear an unfair share of the consequences. The following two papers provide tools to school administrators and stake-holders for creating safe learning environments, in which vulnerable communities and different students can feel included. Though it may not cause the majority of violent deaths in the Americas, harassment in schools has profound and serious consequences for future generations and national economies.

STOP THE VIOLENCE IN LATIN AMERICA: A Look at Prevention from Cradle to Adulthood

Laura Chioda

  • 9 March 2018
  • Posted by: Nicolas Devia
  • Number of views: 1538
  • 0 Comments
STOP THE VIOLENCE IN LATIN AMERICA: A Look at Prevention from Cradle to Adulthood

The present report studies the dynamics of crime and violence in the region: their causes, characteristics and rationale, as well as the policies designed to combat them. Rather than being a homogeneous phenomenon throughout the region, violence and crime rates vary drastically between States and even more at the subnational level. Small municipalities account for the majority of offenses committed in the whole region. Gender and age determine as well the probability of engaging in criminal/violent activities (or being a victim of them): were young, male citizens find themselves into the most vulnerable populations. Contrary to the common thinking, poverty per se doesn’t lead to higher rates of violence and/or crime. On the contrary, economic development at a certain point increases the benefits for offenders to engage in criminal activities. Studies show that policies focused on reactive response to criminal activities and to the augmentation of incarcerated population are ineffective and sometimes could backfire. Instead, comprehensive policies that understand the heterogeneous and complex nature of crime by focusing on prevention, often show better results.

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