Defining Current Status,

Thanks to legal sales and illicit trafficking, the region’s criminal organizations, street gangs, private security firms, and vigilantes have access to a steady supply of weapons. In turn, Latin American countries and cities are the world’s most exposed to gun-related violence. The regional homicide rate hovers above 28 per 100,000 people, compared to a global average of closer to seven per 100,000. Just four countries—Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela—account for roughly one-fifth of all gun-related deaths around the planet each year. A recent study also reveals that 47 of the world’s 50 most murderous cities are in Latin America and the Caribbean (two are in the United States and one is in South Africa).
Meanwhile, roughly 75 percent of all homicides in Latin America are the result of gunshot injuries, compared to the global average of under 50 percent. The proportion of gun deaths soars to 90 percent in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Assault rifles and handguns alone do not cause homicide or violent crime. There are several factors, ranging from weak law and order to societal norms that condone violence and broken families. Even so, there is overwhelming evidence that an abundance of guns and ammunition dramatically increases the risk of a lethal outcome during spats between intimate partners, hold-ups, home invasions, and gangland disputes.
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