How to pacify the world’s most violent region
The iron-fist approach will not solve Latin America’s gang-violence problem
Durán in ECUADOR is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Its murder rate of 148 per 100,000 residents in 2023 was almost 50% higher than the next most violent place, Mandela Bay in South Africa. Poor, and with about 300,000 inhabitants, Durán lies across the river from Guayaquil, one of the most important export hubs for cocaine. It is the worst example of a scourge that has brought misery to Latin America. Despite being home to just 8% of the world’s population, the region accounts for a third of its murders.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Deadly violence”
Leaders May 11th 2024
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