• CLAIM: Murders in Mexico remained high during the month of April, with the Mexican government reporting a total of 2,950 homicides, just shy from the 3,000 recorded in March. The López Obrador administration claims that the numbers show it has been able to curb homicides from growing.
• MONTHS: Murders in Mexico have not shown any drastic decline despite the coronavirus emergency that has forced most of the country to go into lockdown. The new April 2020 numbers are significantly higher compared to April 2019 when Mexico recorded 2,310 homicides.
• CONTAINMENT: “The important thing to point out is that the we have hold the line, we have been able to curb the upward trend that has historically been associated to murder even when the number is high”, said Alfonso Durazo, Mexico’s Minister of Public Security.
• GUANAJUATO: The government also reported today that the central state of Guanajuato (pop. 5.8 million) remains at the top of total murders this year with 1,534. Home of an extensive manufacturing industry, Guanajuato is experiencing a turf war between two criminal groups.
