Mexico: Homicides reach daily average of 94

ANKARA

Security specialists are concerned as reports show an average 94 homicides per day occurring in Mexico, which recorded the past six months as the most violent in its history.

Between January and June, a total of 17,065 people have been victims of homicide and woman killings (femicide), according to the National Public Security System.

"The last year of [the administration of former president Enrique Pena Nieto was bad in terms of the crime rate but 2019 is on the path to being [even] worse," security specialist Ricardo Marquez Blas told daily El Universal.

Marquez challenged President Lopez Obrador's claim that the deployment of 70,00 troops would improve the security situation, saying there were "already 63,000 elements of the armed forces [engaged] in security tasks" that have not had "any positive impact."

The states that have recorded the highest rate of homicides during the first half of the year are Guanajuato, Mexico state, Jalisco, Baja California, Chihuahua, Veracruz, Mexico City and Guerrero, according to the local media.

The total number of victims of violent deaths since Obrador took office as 58th president of Mexico in December, 2018 is almost 20,000.