HomeNewsBriefUruguay Sees Homicide Uptick under Mujica
BRIEF

Uruguay Sees Homicide Uptick under Mujica

HOMICIDES / 1 DEC 2014 BY JAMES BARGENT EN

Uruguay has seen a record level of homicides during the term of outgoing President Jose Mujica, and rising violence will be a key challenge for his successor Tabare Vazquez, as well as for the future of the country's marijuana legalization policy.

According to a study released by Observatorio Fundapro (pdf), a security think tank allied to the opposition Colorado Party, there have been 1,263 murders in Uruguay since Mujica took office in 2010, compared to 1,034 in Vazquez's first term, 2005-2010 (see table below).

The rise was largely driven by a rapid increase in murders in the state of Montevideo, location of the country's capital, since 2011, the study noted.

There have been 60 percent more murders committed under Mujica's administration than during the first presidency after the country returned to democracy in 1984.

According to the study, the number of homicides this year places Uruguay's murder rate at between 8.1 and 8.5 per 100,000 people, depending on which population statistics are used, compared to a rate of below 4 per 100,000 in 1984.

UrugMurders

InSight Crime Analysis

Uruguay remains one of the safer countries in Latin America, and its murder rate pales in comparison to such violence hotspots as Honduras and Venezuela, which have murder rates of over 90 and 50 per 100,000 people respectively, according to the United Nation's latest figures.

The increase in murders in Uruguay has been fairly steady over the last three decades, suggesting that the violence owes to a broader social trend rather than a sudden collapse in the security situation, as seen in countries like Honduras.

However, the fact that homicides are consistently rising is still a cause for concern. In addition, while Uruguay may be safer than many of its neighbors, its residents do not feel secure; in a 2012 survey by Corporacion Latinobarometro (pdf), around 40 percent of residents rated citizen security as the biggest issue facing the country.

SEE ALSO: Uruguay, Organized Crime and the Politics of Drugs

Mujica has addressed the issue of rising violence through his marijuana legalization reforms, which he says could reduce violence by removing a major source of income for criminal groups. However, with Mujica's time in office running out, the success or failure of the project as well as the broader issue of rising violence will be issues for his successor -- previous President Tabare Vazquez, who is set to return for a second term after winning run-off elections on November 30.

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

CARIBBEAN / 8 DEC 2022

A broad state of emergency announced across Jamaica in order to rein in rising violence has met with scorn.

COCAINE / 28 OCT 2022

Murders in Esmeraldas, northern Ecuador, have exploded. Gangs battling for control of drug trafficking routes are to blame.

CHILE / 1 JUN 2022

A new report by Chilean think tank AthenaLab has laid bare Chile's ever-increasing spectrum of criminal threats, from copper theft…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

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.