HomeNewsBriefArgentina Sees Rising Homicides As Role in Drug Trade Grows
BRIEF

Argentina Sees Rising Homicides As Role in Drug Trade Grows

ARGENTINA / 1 JUN 2015 BY KYRA GURNEY EN

Argentina's most recent homicide statistics show that murders have been on the rise since 2010, a phenomenon likely linked to the country's increasing role in the drug trade.

According to Argentina's Ministry of Health, homicides rose by 16 percent between 2012 and 2013, increasing from 2,888 murders to 3,352, reported La Nacion. This translates to a homicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000, nearly double that of neighboring Chile.

The upsurge has been driven mainly by the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe, where the Ministry of Health registered 1,556 and 421 murders, respectively, in 2013. Along with the southern province of Chubut, Santa Fe also had the highest homicide rate -- 13.2 per 100,000 inhabitants. 

In addition, partial provincial homicide figures from 2014 show a continuation of the rising trend, indicating that murders have been steadily increasing in Argentina for the past four years.

The head of Argentina's Public Policy Association, which analyzed the homicide figures, stated that drug trafficking disputes and an increase in robberies are two possible explanations for the rise in murders.

InSight Crime Analysis

Although Argentina's homicide rate is still well below that of many other Latin American countries, the 2013 statistics provide a troubling indication that the country's increasing role in the drug trade has been accompanied by an increase in violence.

In recent years, Argentina has become an important transit nation for drug shipments and an attractive destination for foreign criminal groups. In addition, Argentina's domestic drug trade appears to be growing, leading to the rise of local criminal groups and sparking battles over micro-trafficking territory. All of these issues are factors that have been linked to rising homicides in other parts of Latin America as well.

SEE ALSO: Coverage of Homicides 

Nowhere has this transformation been more evident than in the province of Santa Fe, home to a major highway that serves as the country's principal cocaine trafficking route. In both of the province's major cities, Rosario and capital Santa Fe, homicide rates have reached record levels in recent years as local drug gangs like Los Monos fight over territory.

In addition to rising homicides, Argentina has also seen an increase in other types of crime including kidnappings. Earlier this year, Argentina's deteriorating security situation even prompted concern from Pope Francis, who made a controversial comment comparing problems in his home country to Mexico's drug war. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COCAINE / 20 AUG 2021

Seven people were gunned down in Guayaquil after a record cocaine seizure – in a revenge attack that shows ripples…

ECUADOR / 9 JUN 2022

Ecuador's two leading drug gangs are talking the talk when it comes to peace, but walking the walk may be…

CARIBBEAN / 10 MAR 2023

Jamaica has convicted an infamous gang leader using recently-amended legislation. But has the change in law reduced gang violence?…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…