A significant increase of foreign direct investment, a thriving industrial corridor, installation of new industrial facilities, job creation and economic growth have not save Guanajuato to rank among the top ten states with the highest crime index in Mexico.
Mostly due to the growing number of homicides, thefts, Pemex fuel pipelines’ tapping sites, police corruption, drug traffickers, and even train robberies resulting in a great perception of insecurity.
On July 25, an analysis of homicides in Mexico during 2015 conducted by the INEGI (Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografía), exposed the serious situation that the state of Guanajuato is going through:
During 2008, 295 homicides were reported, while 962 were committed in 2015, the number has triplicated in 8 years.
A police officer was killed at “El dorado” market (Image: Google)
According to Mexican political analyisis magazine proceso, during the first six months of 2016, the violence has increased dramatically; 441 people have been killed in different municipalities, the highest rates are in Penjamo, Salvatierra, Acámbaro and Apaseo el Grande. As a result “the Criminal Meter in Mexico” placed Guanajuato as number 12 in the national homicide rankings.
Police officer executed in Celaya, Gto. (AM)
On the other hand, law enforcement agents have been targetted by organized crime as well; the newspaper sinembargo.mx reported that in the city of Celaya a woman police officer was killed when she and her partner left the police station on Friday August 12.
Another police officer was killed in Guanajuato, while he was eating at “El Dorado” market. One of the officer’s relatives declared that his brother was also kidnaped two years ago; and despite paying the ransom, he was found dead days later.
A total of 8 law enforcement officers have been killed during the first six months of this year in the state of Guanajuato.
Enrique Galindo Ceballos, the commissioner of the Federal Police (Photo: elfinanciero.com.mx)
Although the critical situation, Federal Police Commissioner Enrique Galindo Ceballos, says that there are important ongoing operations to combat criminal activity in the state, and stated he feels confident that the work is being done to stop this wave of violence and lower the crime rate.
Violence in numbers during 2016
- 441 crime related homicides
- 2,781 stolen vehicles
- 2, 281 burglaries reported from January to June
Sources:
