Summary by Eric L. Olson, Senior Advisor, Mexico Institute & Deputy Director, Latin American Program
The tragic news that Mexico set another record for homicides in 2017 is not only disheartening but puzzling. After a peak of 22,409 homicides in 2011, Mexico’s homicide rate began to trend downward and bottomed out at 15,520 in 2014. Some of the cities with the highest homicide rates, like Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana, saw significant reductions as well.