Violence and Drugs in Guatemala

Carlos Mendoza continues to analyze 2011's homicide statistics in Guatemala in a post at Plaza Publica. Some up, some down, but mostly improved murder rates all around.

See also Carlos's posts on Violence in a Regional Context (parts 1 and 2) and Solola and mine on murder by department.

I also found this article by Prensa Libre interesting, especially the last paragraph.

In January there was a slight reduction in the number of murders in the country, compared with the same month last year.

After nearly two years of neglecting improved murder rates, now the press gets it right? I am sure that it's just a coincidence.

Here are a few more articles of interest that came out while I was traveling last week.

Decriminalize drugs: lure or justified proposal

Al Jazeera's piece on US hooked on Central American drugs

UTEP political scientist Tony Payan questions the benefits of decriminalization