Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Only Three Countries Have a Constitutional Right to Bear Arms
23 November 2022
Business Insider
- Only three countries in the world currently have a constitutional right to own a gun: the US, Mexico, and Guatemala.
- Six other countries used to have a constitutional right to bear arms, but they've since repealed those laws.
- The US is the only country with a right to keep and bear arms with no constitutional restrictions.
The right to keep and bear arms is a longstanding, often glorified right protected by the US Constitution.
Americans own nearly half of all... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business Insider
40778
Costa Rica
90% of Costa Ricans Disagree With the Possession of Firearms
25 October 2022
Observador
Nine out of 10 Costa Ricans disagreed with gun ownership in Costa Rica. This was reflected in the National Survey on Citizen Security presented last week by the University of Costa Rica and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This study was applied to 1,222 people, all over the age of 18. It has a confidence level of 95 per cent and an error of 2.8 per cent.
90.1% of those interviewed said they strongly and somewhat disagreed with anyone being able to own... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Observador
40764
Costa Rica
Gun Ownership in Costa Rica
21 September 2022
Teletica.com (Costa Rica)
Muggings are now a familiar element for Costa Ricans and are one of the most common crimes committed in the country, with at least one per hour on any given day of the year.
Since weapons are one of the most common tools used by criminals to commit this type of crime, it is worth reviewing some figures on the possession of weapons in the country.
There are 217,000 registered arms in Costa Rica, but only 18,000 people have a permit to carry them, a proportion that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Teletica.com (Costa Rica)
40763
Panama
Panama Destroyed 23,426 Illegal Firearms over Four Years
29 July 2022
Estrella de Panama
Entre el 1 de julio de 2019 y el 29 de julio de 2022, la Policía Nacional (PN) ha destruido 23 mil 426 armas de fuego ilegales. Las armas de fuego fueron decomisadas y recuperadas, durante diversos operativos y acciones preventivas entre la PN y el Ministerio Público en todo el país."Esta destrucción de armas es el producto del compromiso y esfuerzo de los estamentos de seguridad del país, con el firme objetivo de garantizar la paz y la sana convivencia de los... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Estrella de Panama
40703
El Salvador
El Salvador Arrests Thousands but Gangs Keep Their Guns
22 July 2022
InSight Crime
Almost four months into a nationwide crackdown, El Salvador's government has failed to disarm its notorious street gangs.
It started at the end of March, when President Nayib Bukele revealed the government's official hashtag: #GuerraContraPandillas, or the 'war against the gangs.' The government boasts it has already arrested more than 45,000 so-called "terrorists," claiming these are almost all suspected members of the infamous Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) street gang, or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime
40682
Honduras
Honduras: 36 guns a day registered in the last 10 years
14 July 2022
Heraldo
Capital citizens are armour-plated: 36 guns a day have been registered in the last 10 years.
Although the sport of shooting is one of the reasons for the boom in gun ownership in recent years, specialists recognise that the main motivation for owning a firearm is self-defence.
With the motto "it is better to have a gun and not need it than to need it and not have it", Juan, 68, has carried his pistol most of his life and, because of his profession, was forced to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Heraldo
40780
United States,El Salvador,Venezuela,Guatemala,Colombia,Honduras,Brazil
On Gun Violence, the United States is an Outlier
31 May 2022
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Among 64 high-income countries and territories, the United States stands out for its high levels of gun violence. The US ranks eighth out of 64 for homicides by firearm (age-adjusted). Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, two US territories, rank first and third on that list. Firearm injuries tend to be more frequent in places where people have easy access to firearms, according to findings from the 2018 Global Burden of Disease study published in the Journal of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
40751
Honduras,United States
Former Honduran President Pleads 'Not Guilty' to US Federal Trafficking Charges
10 May 2022
CNN
Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández on Tuesday pleaded not guilty in US court to federal drug trafficking and firearms possession charges.
The indictment in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York charges Hernández with cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
"As is charged in the indictment, Hernández abused his position as... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CNN
40752
Jamaica,Venezuela,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Colombia,Belize,Mexico,Brazil,El Salvador,Guatemala,Guyana,Ecuador,Haiti,Panama,Costa Rica,Dominican Republic,Uruguay,Paraguay,Nicaragua,Peru,Chile,Argentina,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2021 Homicide Round-Up
1 February 2022
InSight Crime
In 2021, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a marked increase in murders. Resurgent violence was to be expected after some of the world's longest COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted.
Much of the population found themselves sinking deeper into poverty. With schools late to reopen, teenagers returned to the streets with little to do, making them prime targets for recruitment.
The pandemic also made law enforcement more difficult. Police were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime
40677
Panama
Firearms involved in 75% homicides in Panama
30 January 2022
Panamaamerica
Firearms figure in more than 75% of homicides registered in the last seven years in Panama.
Firearms have become the tool with which most homicides have been committed in Panama in the last seven years. During this period, more than 75% of the homicides have been committed with this type of lethal device, according to statistics from the Public Prosecutor's Office.
From 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2021, 3,294 murders were committed, of which 2,436 were committed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Panamaamerica
40705
Honduras,Belize,El Salvador,Guatemala
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco (ATF) Firearms Tracing Data (2015-2019) Revealed
11 January 2022
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Web page
Gangs and drug cartels commit much of the violence in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The guns they use are mostly from other countries, including the U.S.
While reducing violence in the region is a U.S. policy goal, agencies' efforts—such as helping countries secure their borders—haven't focused on guns. The State Department plans to focus more on gun trafficking but lacks information to tailor its programs to each country's needs. For instance,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
40755
Panama
Panama to Exchange Illegal Weapons for Food Stamps
13 December 2021
Tiempo (Panama)
The plan, which is an initiative of the Panamanian government and the Ministry of Public Security, was launched on Monday.
The Panamanian government on Monday launched a programme for the voluntary exchange of illegal weapons for vouchers to buy in supermarkets and shops, at a time when the country is experiencing a rise in homicides, the vast majority of which are committed with firearms.
The "Pacificando Mi Barrio" programme, which involves the exchange of weapons,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tiempo (Panama)
40706
Panama
Panama Seeks to Curb Proliferation of Long Arms in the Country
27 September 2021
Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (DIASP)
The adoption of Resolution 048, dated 13 September 2021, seeks to prevent the proliferation of long arms in the country, as well as their detailed verification, said the head of the Institutional Directorate for Public Security Affairs (Diasp), Roger Mojica.
Resolution 048 suspends for a period of one year the importation of firearms (rifle type) with a semi-automatic firing mechanism, with the exception of .22 calibre rifles. The measure was adopted in view of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (DIASP)
40704
United States,Mexico,Central America,Honduras
US-made Guns are Active in Central America
16 April 2021
The Guardian
The stray bullet from the gang fight struck Katery Ramos when she was 12 years old, playing on the dirt street in the poor Planeta neighbourhood of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. "I was standing up for a moment, afterwards I fell," she told me, sitting with her mother in a scrubby field near her home.
The bullet entered just above her waist and didn't hurt, she said. But when she arrived at the hospital, the doctor announced that it had cut through her spine. She was... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: The Guardian
40756
Jamaica,Venezuela,Haiti,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Mexico,Belize,Colombia,El Salvador,Brazil,Puerto Rico,Guatemala,Pakistan,Panama,Costa Rica,Nicaragua,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Ecuador,Paraguay,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up
29 January 2021
InSight Crime
While unrest gripped much of Latin America in 2019, it was the coronavirus that took center stage and ripped through the region in 2020, upending everything from commercial trade to the operations of local gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
It's too early to tell with any degree of certainty how exactly the pandemic may have impacted levels of violence, but there were notable developments, including significant reductions in El Salvador, Guatemala,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime
40679
Jamaica,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,El Salvador,Belize,Mexico,Colombia,Guatemala,Puerto Rico,Brazil,Panama,Costa Rica,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Nicaragua,Ecuador,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia,Paraguay
InSight Crime's 2019 Homicide Round-Up
28 January 2020
InSight Crime
Unrest gripped much of Latin America and the Caribbean throughout 2019. From record violence in Mexico that recalled the darkest days of the drug war, to increased fighting among armed groups in Colombia vying for control in the absence of the FARC and a rise in massacres in Honduras, the region was again one of the world's most homicidal last year.
In its annual Homicide Round-Up, InSight Crime looks into the country-by-country murder rates and the factors... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime
40680
Costa Rica
Destruction of Illicit Firearms in Costa Rica
18 July 2018
The Costa Rica Star
The General Directorate of Armaments in Costa Rica has destroyed 191 firearms this month, firearms which had been used in various crimes including homicide, robbery, drug trafficking, and illegal arms possession and sale. The Guns destroyed included 133 short weapons and 58 long weapons which have been in custody since 2012 and were previously used as evidence in criminal proceedings. They had been confiscated by the OIJ during raids throughout Costa Rica.
How many... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: The Costa Rica Star
40351
Australia,Guatemala
Profile on Life and Work of Rebecca Peters
7 July 2018
Sydney Morning Herald
Flory Teletor was 17 when she began living with her boyfriend, Santo, in a cramped apartment in Guatemala City. Santo, who was 20, worked as a security guard. He was violent and controlling. He gave Flory a daily allowance of 20 quetzals ($3.50). She had to account for every cent; when she failed to do so, he would beat her. Sometimes, he would brandish the pistol he used for work, even shooting above her head. Flory was terrified, but she had already fled an abusive... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sydney Morning Herald
40412
Honduras
2,300 Guns Seized This Year in Honduras [ES]
25 November 2016
La Prensa (Honduras)
[Translated summary: 2,300 guns were seized since the beginning of 2016 in Honduras. Most illegal firearms belong to gangs, including AK47 and AR15 rifles. The majority of homicides are committed with pistols and rifles.]
San Pedro Sula -- El tráfico y uso de armas ilegales es uno de los delitos que más afecta al país, la mayoría de homicidios son cometidos con pistolas y fusiles de guerra.
El mayor número de armas ilícitas están en manos de grupos criminales... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa (Honduras)
40242
El Salvador
Over Two Thousand Firearms Destroyed in El Salvador [ES]
18 November 2016
El Mundo (El Salvador), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: El Salvador's Ministry of Defence destroyed 2,864 seized firearms. They also destroyed another cache of firearms that were not claimed by their owners after seizure, and others used in crimes. Among the destroyed firearms were 1,386 handguns, 333 long guns and 156 home-made firearms. Between January and September, 2016, 80% of homicides were committed using a firearm and 1,987 guns were seized.]
El Ministerio de la Defensa destruyó 2,864 armas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Mundo (El Salvador), EFE News Agency
40212
Honduras
Guns Used in 40% of Homicides in Honduras Prisons [ES]
18 November 2016
El Heraldo (Honduras)
[Translated summary: A study revealed that, of 93 prisoners who died between 2011 and 2015 in Honduras, 60% of the deaths were homicides and 40% were committed with a firearm. All the firearms used were industrially produced and for commercial purposes.]
Tegucigalpa -- En las cárceles de Honduras la muerte camina impunemente. Basta con ver las cifras para corroborarlo.
Un estudio realizado por estudiantes de la primera generación del posgrado de Medicina Legal y... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Heraldo (Honduras)
40203
Guatemala
Guns Used in 8 of 10 Homicides in Guatemala [ES]
17 November 2016
Última Hora (Paraguay)
[Translated summary: Guatemala had 15 homicides for every day during the first ten months of 2016, according to a humanitarian organization. From January to October, the country registered 4,606 homicides of which 630 were women. 79.83% of homicides were committed with a firearm.]
Guatemala registró una media de 15 asesinatos diarios durante los primeros diez meses de 2016, informó este jueves la organización humanitaria Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo (GAM).
El informe,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Última Hora (Paraguay)
40202
Honduras
Illegal Gun Seizures Rise Amid Ongoing Insecurity in Honduras
15 November 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
Honduran officials say seizures of illegal firearms at border checkpoints are increasing rapidly, as the market for millions of illegal firearms continues to grow and fuel violence in the Central American country.
According to Honduras' National Anti-Evasion Force (Fuerza Nacional Antievasión - FNA), customs officers in Honduras are seizing an average of 35 to 40 firearms and ammunition shipments per month.
Officers are interdicting shipments from Mexico, the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogotá)
40181
Honduras
Honduras Gun Control Law Still Stalled After Two Years [ES]
13 November 2016
La Prensa (Honduras)
[Translated summary: The Possession, Carrying and Control of Firearms, Explosives and Ammunition Law has been stalled for more than two years in Honduras. Deputies explain that the new legislation is stricter than the old law and aims to register all legal guns and remove illegal arms from circulation. Official data indicates that Honduras has 400,000 registered and more than 1 million illegal guns.]
Tegucigalpa -- La Ley de Tenencia, Portación y Control de Armas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa (Honduras)
40195
Honduras,United States,South America
Firearm Trafficking Soaring in Honduras - Customs [ES]
11 November 2016
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Every month, Honduran customs seize an average of 35 to 40 firearms of US and South America origin. Among the seized arms are pistols, shotguns, hunting rifles and ammunition. Police say the increase in crime is the reason Hondurans want to arm themselves, and trafficked guns cost one fifth of legal guns.]
Un promedio de 35 a 40 armas de fuego o municiones provenientes de Estados Unidos y de Suramérica decomisan al mes funcionarios de Aduanas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Tribuna (Honduras)
40162
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Regulates Gun Use by Private Security Guards [ES]
8 November 2016
Info Defensa (Spain)
[Translated summary: A new resolution by the Constitutional Division of the Supreme Court of Costa Rica will allow the Public Security Ministry to regulate the use of firearms by private guards. Private security employees will be able to use permitted firearms while transporting valuables and merchandise and for the protection of people.]
La Sala de lo Constitucional de la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Costa Rica respaldó el uso de armas para los vigilantes privados.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Info Defensa (Spain)
40154
Panama
Panama Destroyed 2,226 Firearms in 2016 [ES]
31 October 2016
Noticias Terra (Argentina)
[Translated summary: Authorities in Panama have destroyed 2,226 firearms so far this year. The guns were seized during police operations or obtained in buyback programs. Among the firearms were pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles, sub machine guns, carbines, pellet and homemade guns.]
Las autoridades panameñas han destruido un total de 2.226 armas de fuego en lo que va de año, que han sido decomisadas mediante requisas, hallazgos e intercambios por comida, informó... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Noticias Terra (Argentina)
40117
Panama
Police Destroy 1,036 Seized Firearms in Panama [ES]
31 October 2016
La Prensa (Panama)
[Translated summary: Authorities from Panama destroyed 1,036 firearms of different calibres on October 31. The general director of the National Police said that these guns were seized in different police operations to dismantle gangs, or because they were illegally owned by civilians.]
Las autoridades panameñas procedieron este lunes 31 de octubre con la destrucción de mil 36 armas de diverso calibre.
El director general de la Policía Nacional, Omar Pinzón, dijo... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa (Panama)
40094
Panama
Panama Police Have Seized 1,387 Guns Since January [ES]
26 October 2016
Panamá America (Panama)
[Translated Summary: From January to October, Panama's National Police seized 1,387 firearms and 18,692 rounds of ammunition. In this cache were 15 sub-machine guns, 60 shotguns, 49 automatic rifles, 448 handguns, 347 revolvers, 37 rifles and 57 other firearms (pellet and home-made).]
De enero a octubre la Policía Nacional ha decomisado unas mil 387 armas de fuego y 18 mil 692 municiones de diversos calibres.
El informe de la Policía destaca que entre las armas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Panamá America (Panama)
40065
Honduras
2,000 Gun Homicides in Honduras in First Half of 2016 [ES]
23 October 2016
La Prensa (Honduras)
[Translated summary: In Honduras, 2,000 people were murdered with firearms in the first six months of the year, a number that represents 75% of total homicides in the country. Police explain that they are constantly combating crime and illegal gun trafficking and that they have seized a great number of AK-47 and AR-15-pattern rifles.]
San Pedro Sula -- Casi a diario las autoridades policiales y militares capturan personas por el delito de portación ilegal de armas,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa (Honduras)
40057
Honduras
Honduras: 2,038 Firearms Seized for Destruction This Year [ES]
4 October 2016
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: So far this year authorities in Honduras have seized 2,038 firearms, such as rifles (M-16, FAL, R-15, and AK-47 ), UZI machine guns and handguns of different calibres, from commercial and prohibited use. One of the rifles most used by criminal bands is the AK-47.]
Las autoridades de Honduras se han incautado en lo que va del presente año de unas 2.038 armas de fuego como fusiles, ametralladoras UZI y pistolas de diverso calibre, entre otras,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Tribuna (Honduras)
39967
El Salvador
2,075 Firearms Seized by Police in El Salvador This Year [ES]
4 October 2016
El Mundo (El Salvador)
[Translated Summary: El Salvador Police have seized 2,705 firearms in 2016. In this cache, there were 318 rifles (AK-47 and G3), 279 shotguns, 1,872 handguns and one M 60 machine gun. 474 of them were seized from gangs during police operations. There has been an increase of 77% in the seizure of firearms in relation to last year.]
La Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) ha incautado 2,705 armas de fuego en el 2016, de las cuales 318 son fusiles AK 47, M16, G-3 y de otros... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Mundo (El Salvador)
39966
Panama
Over 900 Firearms Seized in Panama So Far This Year [ES]
3 October 2016
Crítica (Panama)
[Translated summary: Panama's National Police seized 916 firearms and 16,714 pieces of ammunition so far this year. Among the firearms there are pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles, pellet guns, sub-machine guns and homemade guns.]
La Policía Nacional y el Ministerio Público (MP) de Panamá decomisaron un total de 916 armas de fuego y 16.714 municiones de diverso calibre en lo que va del año, indicó hoy una fuente oficial.
Entre las armas recuperadas y sacadas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Crítica (Panama)
39960
Honduras
Police Gun Found Among Honduras Crime Gang Weapons [ES]
29 September 2016
El Heraldo (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras police seized two AK rifles, one Beretta and one Taurus pistol left behind by criminals after an anti-drug raid. They also found grenades and bullets. One of the firearms had a National Police marking.]
La Fuerza de Seguridad Interinstitucional Nacional (FUSINA) decomisó este jueves armas y municiones que fueron abandonadas por varios sujetos.
El decomiso tuvo lugar la madrugada de este día en la comunidad de Raya, Puerto Lempira,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Heraldo (Honduras)
39940
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Police Seized 1,340 Firearms So Far this Year [ES]
28 September 2016
Teletica (Costa Rica)
[Translated summary: 1,340 illegal firearms were seized by Costa Rica police so far this year, or five guns each day. San José is the province where most of these seizures occurred. The guns are sent to the Security Ministry to be destroyed. Last year, 1,712 firearms were confiscated, most of them from organized crime.]
San José es la provincia donde se decomisan más armas en condición irregular.
Según el Ministerio de Seguridad, solo de enero a setiembre de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Teletica (Costa Rica)
39934
Panama
Panama Police Lose 100 Military Guns, Grenades to Theft [ES]
28 September 2016
Panamá América
[Translated summary: At least 100 assault rifles, machine guns and grenades were allegedly stolen from the Institutional Protection Service, as reported by a lawyer with the Firearm Owners Association of Panama. The Association also noted that they receive between 15 and 30 gun theft complains each year, but that the police seize 1,500 in the same time.]
La supuesta pérdida de al menos un centenar de fusiles de asalto M4, ametralladoras y granadas dentro de los... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Panamá América
39930
Mexico,Central America,South America
Recent Seizures Point to Thriving Latin American Gun Trade
21 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
A series of recent raids and reports highlights the thriving arms trade throughout Latin America, which serves to both profit illicit groups and to facilitate criminal violence in the region.
During a recent conference on armed violence in Central America, Ana Yancy Espinoza, academic director of the Costa Rican organization Fundación Arias, presented the results of an investigation on regional arms trafficking.
According to a press release from the Foundation for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogotá)
39887
Honduras,Switzerland
800,000 Guns, Mostly Illegal, Circulate in Honduras [ES]
20 September 2016
SwissInfo, Reuters
[Translated Summary: The International Committee for Human Rights estimates that between 800,000 and one million firearms circulate in Honduras, while about 282,000 are properly registered. Many of these are used by 60,000 security guards in private companies, while others are illegal or non-registered.]
Honduras, con más de 4 000 homicidios por año, es uno de los países más violentos del mundo y los derechos humanos, sector en el que la cooperación helvética... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SwissInfo, Reuters
39883
Guatemala
Guatemala Why 9mm and .38 Illicit Handguns Proliferate [ES]
19 September 2016
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: The most common guns used in crimes in Guatemala, for their cheap prices and their characteristics, are the 9 mm pistol and the .38 revolver. According to the experts, the 9 mm can be disassembled in 5 pieces that are interchangeable with other pistols, as long as they are the same brand and calibre. Criminals use them so they can hide evidence by changing the barrels.]
Armas utilizadas en crímenes son desarmadas y sus piezas vendidas en mercado... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
39892
Central America,Mexico,South America,United States
USA, Stop Enabling Latin America's Gun Addiction - Letter
11 September 2016
Americas Quarterly, Letter
Dear Mister / Madam President,
As the world's largest arms exporter, the U.S. plays an outsize role in fueling Latin America's insatiable addiction to firearms. To take one example, during most of the 1980s, El Salvador was the largest consumer of U.S. military hardware in the Americas, feeding one of the most vicious civil wars in Latin American history. And while the conflict ended in 1992, the legacy of its arms transfers remains: U.S. officials estimate that almost... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Americas Quarterly
39833
Honduras
New Law Would Curb Gun Numbers, AK-47s in Honduras [ES]
11 September 2016
Tiempo (Honduras)
[Translated summary: A new gun control bill is proposed in Honduras, where 80% of violent crime involves firearms. The new law would reduce from 5 to 1 the number of guns allowed, and would increase from 18 to 21 the minimum age to get a licence. Some guns would be banned from civilian use, such as the AK-47. It is estimated that there are 400,000 legal and 800,000 illicit guns in Honduras.]
TEGUCIGALPA -- El Diputado del Congreso Nacional (CN), Osman Aguilar pidió a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tiempo (Honduras)
39826
Brazil,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,United States,India,Nigeria,South Africa,El Salvador
World is Far Less Violent: Global Murders Halving in a Decade
7 September 2016
Foreign Affairs (USA)
The world has never been safer than it is right now. Most forms of violence have dropped precipitously over the past few centuries. Although conflict deaths recently spiked (the war in Syria accounts for one third of all war-related killings today), fewer people are dying from warfare than at virtually any time in human history. Terrorist violence also increased over the past two years—especially in six countries the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia—but it still... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Foreign Affairs (USA)
39813
United States,El Salvador
El Salvador Criminal Gang Uses Mostly US-Made Rifles [ES]
7 September 2016
El Faro (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: "Maras" gangsters in El Salvador use assault weapons. The authorities, former soldiers, experts and even gang members confirm that most of them come from the civil war of the 80's. Police seize at least one rifle every 3 days and the most common are the M-16, the AK-47 and the Galil.]
El gobierno del FMLN combate contra mareros equipados con fusiles de asalto. Autoridades, excomandantes, excombatientes, académicos, expertos y los propios... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Faro (El Salvador)
39812
Costa Rica
Most Security Guards Can No Longer Carry Guns in Costa Rica
7 September 2016
Q Costa Rica
In 90 days, most private security guards in the country must give up their firearms. Only bodyguards and guards involved in the transportation of valuables, such as armoured bank trucks guards can carry firearms.
Guards at condominiums, malls and banks, for example, will not be able to carry firearms according to the new requirements by Ministry of Security published last Friday in the official government newspaper, La Gaceta.
The head of the Asociación Costarricense... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Q Costa Rica
39807
Costa Rica
New Gun Carry Controls for Private Security in Costa Rica [ES]
3 September 2016
El Mundo (Costa Rica)
[Translated Summary: The Public Health Ministry of Costa Rica has set up new controls on carrying firearms. Private security companies that want their officers armed should present a paper explaining their reasons, prepared by a criminologist who has to be part of the School of Professionals in Criminology.]
Los nuevos controles instaurados por el Ministerio de Seguridad Pública (MSP) a la portación de armas para oficiales de seguridad privados, entró en vigencia... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Mundo (Costa Rica)
39814
Honduras,United States,El Salvador,Guatemala
Weapons are Everywhere in Honduras
2 September 2016
Swiss Peace
Even on my morning jog around a small, public park in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, I encounter two heavily armed, young soldiers guarding the park. Firearms are everywhere in Honduras. They are seen as an important means of self-defence and a way of ensuring personal safety. According to the Honduran Law on Controlling Explosives, Firearms and Munitions, every living person of majority age has the right to register up to five firearms. Politicians, judges,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Swiss Peace
40753
Honduras
One Million Illegal Guns, 6,700 Seized in Honduras [ES]
4 August 2016
Radio HRN (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras confiscated 6,700 firearms in the last two years, most of them from gangs. Types include AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, .45, .38 and 9 mm handguns, shotguns and handmade guns. It is estimated that the cost of the arms seized since 2014 exceeds 100 million lempiras (4.38 million USD). About 1 million illegal firearms circulate in Honduras and 400,000 are legally registered.]
En lo que va del año van más de 1,400 armas de fuego incautadas lo que... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio HRN (Honduras)
39653
Honduras
In Honduras, 80% of Homicides are Committed with Guns [ES]
28 July 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
[Translated Summary: Firearms are used in about 80% of all the homicides in Honduras. 39,111 of 48,094 registered homicides between 2008 and 2015 were committed with a firearm. In 2014, a Comission of the Congress estimated that there were 1,000,000 firearms in circulation and 700,000 of them were owned without a licence.]
Según informes, las armas de fuego son utilizadas en más del 80 por ciento de todos los homicidios en Honduras, casi el doble que el promedio... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogotá)
39622
Guatemala
Guatemala Destroys 5,409 Seized Crime Guns [ES]
21 July 2016
Wradio (Colombia), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: Specialized personnel from the Guatemala's Ministry of Defence destroyed 5,409 firearms from different calibres. These had been confiscated in different criminal acts. The firearms (pistols, revolvers, assault rifles, shotguns and rifles) were cut using a circular saw.]
GUATEMALA - Personal especializado del Ministerio de Defensa de Guatemala destruyó hoy 5.409 armas de fuego de distintos calibres que habían sido decomisadas en diferentes hechos... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wradio (Colombia), EFE News Agency
39607
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Aims to Curb Misuse of 25,000 Security Guns [ES]
23 June 2016
Prensa Libre (Costa Rica)
[Translated summary: A new measure by Costa Rica's Ministry of Security will make it harder for private security companies to obtain licences for purchasing firearms. This way, the Ministry hopes to prevent more than 25,000 unjustified guns from reaching the streets. 98% of homicides in Costa Rica are committed with firearms that, many of which come from private security companies.]
Ya no serían entregadas con tanta facilidad a empresas de seguridad
Con el propósito... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Libre (Costa Rica)
39507
Panama
400 Detained for Illegal Possession of Guns in Panama [ES]
6 June 2016
El Siglo (Panama)
[Translated Summary: Panama Police confiscated 535 firearms and arrested 400 persons for illegal possession of these firearms in the first five months of 2016. ]
La Policía de Panamá decomisó 535 armas de fuego y detuvo a 400 personas por el delito de tenencia ilícita de este armamento en los primeros cinco meses de 2016, indicó hoy una fuente oficial.
Entre los pertrechos hay pistolas, revólveres, escopetas, rifles, fusiles, sub-ametralladora y otras armas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Siglo (Panama)
39387
Central America,Germany,El Salvador
El Salvador Accuses Its Own Ambassador of Gun Trafficking
6 June 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Prosecutors in El Salvador have asked Congress to strip the country's ambassador to Germany and former Defense minister of immunity so they can pursue charges against him related to an alleged arms trafficking ring.
The Attorney General's Office is accusing Gen. Jose Atilio Benítez of fraud, illegal possession of weapons, and illegal arms trafficking, La Prensa Grafica reported. The prosecutors alleged that Benítez ordered subordinates to fraudulently register... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
39376
Costa Rica
More than 100 Guns Seized Each Month in Costa Rica [ES]
18 April 2016
Diario Extra (Costa Rica)
[Translated summary: In Costa Rica, more than 100 guns are being seized each month. The Ministry of Public Safety announced it had confiscated 412 firearms in just the first three months of 2016.]
Uno de los trabajos más comunes por parte de las autoridades de la Fuerza Pública es la incautación de armas ilegales en el país, cifras que según el Ministerio de Seguridad Pública superan las 100 por mes.
La información fue revelada por la Sección de Análisis y... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Diario Extra (Costa Rica)
39130
Panama
Panama Gun Owners Say Import Ban Incites Smuggling [ES]
18 April 2016
Telemetro (Panama)
[Translated summary: The Panama Firearm Owners Association claims that the current firearm import ban encourages smuggling. They say that after five years of the ban, illegal firearms are still being seized in the streets, even military weapons.]
A dos meses para que culmine la prórroga que ordenó el Ministerio de Seguridad para la suspensión de importación de armas de fuego, la Asociación de Propietarios expresó este lunes, una vez más su malestar por esta... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telemetro (Panama)
39128
El Salvador
Should El Salvador Give Out Guns to Fight Crime? [ES]
14 April 2016
La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: El Salvador's Secretary of Communications for the President sparked controversy when he suggested giving guns to civilians to defend themselves. Social and analyst organisations agreed that each community could organise its own safety, but disapproved of arming citizens.]
Organizaciones sociales y analistas muestran su aceptación de que las comunidades organicen sus propias medidas de seguridad, junto a la PNC. Pero sin armas.
La controversia... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
39083
El Salvador
More Than 2,700 Gang Guns Seized in El Salvador [ES]
13 April 2016
Terra (Argentina), EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: El Salvador police seized 2,759 firearms from gangs between 2014 and 2016, 96 of them classified as military weapons. According to official numbers, most of the homicides in El Salvador are inflicted with firearms.]
La policía salvadoreña incautó 2.759 armas de fuego a las pandillas entre el 2014 y febrero de 2016, más del 49 % del total de decomisos, de acuerdo con información oficial a la que Efe tuvo acceso hoy.
De esa cantidad, 96 fueron... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Terra (Argentina), EFE News Agency
39093
El Salvador
El Salvador Still Has No Penalty for Gun Trafficking [ES]
7 April 2016
La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: In El Salvador, there is no penalty for arms trafficking. District attorney Douglas Meléndez is proposing a reform to include arms trafficking and other felonies in the Salvadoran legislation. Meléndez explained that 90% of crimes involve trafficked firearms.]
Fiscal dijo que también busca se castigue con prisión a los que impidan la libre circulación a las personas. Propone reformar Ley contra Terrorismo porque no está apegada a realidad... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
39052
El Salvador
Gang Members Linked to 26% of El Salvador Homicides
21 March 2016
Insight Crime
Just over 26 percent of people convicted of murder in El Salvador in 2015 were gang members, according to new statistics that undermine the government's assertions about what is driving violence in the country.
According to Public Ministry figures obtained by EFE, a total of 739 people were convicted of murder in 2015, 650 of them on aggravated charges. Of these, 193 people, were recognized as gang members, of which 172 were convicted of aggravated homicide.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Insight Crime
38982
United States,Mexico,Honduras,Finland,Philippines,Thailand,United Kingdom
US Gun Smugglers Illegally Sent Firearms to 46 Countries
16 March 2016
Washington Post
Arms trafficking from within the United States, long thought to be relegated to gun-running for Mexican drug cartels, is far more extensive than previously thought, according to a new report by a weapons research group released Wednesday.
The report, published by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, examines more than 150 court cases involving arms trafficking from within the United States from 2010-2015. Spanning 46 countries and six continents, the report details... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
38954
Central America,El Salvador
World's Most Violent Country Registers 30 New Guns a Day
10 March 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Between 2010 and 2015, Salvadorans were registering firearms at a rate of 11,000 per year. This suggests 30 new firearms were registered every day in a country where the vast majority of crimes are committed with guns. In a market that had sales of almost $2 million in 2014, four firms dominated gun imports.
The inhabitants of the world's most violent country have been spending more than $1.5 million on guns annually. Although the market's total size and the number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38924
Honduras
What's Behind Honduras' 30% Drop in Murder Rates?
19 February 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Honduras' homicide rate has reportedly fallen by 30 percent over the past four years, but there are worrying signs organized crime violence remains widespread in this Central American nation.
Honduras' murder rate went from 86.5 per 100,000 residents in 2011 to 60.0 per 100,000 residents in 2015, representing a 30.6 percent decrease, according to statistics recently presented by the National Autonomous University of Honduras (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38899
El Salvador
El Salvador Govt Turned Blind Eye to Official's Arms Trafficking
16 February 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A recent report points once again to the role high-ranking El Salvador military officials play in driving that nation's illicit arms trade, helping fuel rampant gang violence and bloodshed.
Since 2010 El Salvador's National Civil Police (Policía Nacional Civil - PNC) and several other state institutions bought over $500,000 worth of guns, munitions, and bulletproof vests from the arms businesses of retired army major Miguel Ángel Pocasangre Escobar, reported La... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38887
Panama
Ban on Firearms Imports Extended in Panama
9 July 2015
CentralAmericaData.com
From a resolution of the Ministry of Public Security:
It is resolved:
To extend the suspension of the import of weapons allowed in the country by companies duly authorized to apply for licenses from the Ministry for importing such goods. State Security and the security services of state institutions are excepted.
This Resolution is legally binding for a period of one (1) calendar month.
IT IS ADVISED that appeals in opposition to this resolution Resolved may appeal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CentralAmericaData.com
38838
Colombia,Brazil,Honduras,El Salvador,Venezuela,United States,Belize
Latin America Leads World on Murder Map
6 May 2015
Guardian (Latin America)
Latin America may be the most murderous continent on Earth, but huge improvements in public safety have been achieved in several major cities, according to a new homicide map of the world that is being launched this week.
Several metropolises that were once bywords for violent death – such as Medellín, Bogotá, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro - have seen murder rate declines of more than 60% over the past two decades thanks to improved living standards, better... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (Latin America)
38854
Honduras
Honduras Seized 4,192 Weapons in 2014 [ES]
28 January 2015
La Prensa Libre (Honduras)
[Translated summary: In 2014, Honduras confiscated 3,392 firearms from criminal gangs.]
La Fuerza de Seguridad Interinstitucional Nacional (Fusina) de Honduras informó hoy de que en el último año ha decomisado más de 41 toneladas de drogas, 12,8 millones de dólares y detuvo a 13.649 personas por diversos delitos, informó hoy una fuente oficial.
En lo que va del Gobierno de Juan Orlando Hernández, que inicio el 27 de enero pasado, la Fusina se ha incautado de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa Libre (Honduras)
38865
Nicaragua,Peru,Haiti,Dominican Republic,Cuba,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Turkey,El Salvador,United States,Russia,Austria,Belgium,Colombia,Brazil,Czech Republic,Germany,Israel,Venezuela,Italy,Spain
The Latin American Gun Leak
16 January 2015
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
During the 1980s, El Salvador was the single largest recipient of U.S. military hardware and weaponry in the Western Hemisphere. Although the Central American country's civil war ended in 1992, the guns, grenades and bullets linger, as do their murderous effects. In September, a U.S. official from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimated that half the weapons available on El Salvador's vibrant black market were made in the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Los Angeles Times
38856
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Cuba,United States,Russia,Nicaragua,Israel,El Salvador,Honduras,Europe,Belgium,Czech Republic,Germany,Italy,South Africa,Spain,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,Argentina,Chile,Paraguay,Panama,Ecuador
Small Arms Trade a 'Dramatic Threat' to Latin America
13 October 2014
NACLA
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons—that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles—are circulating throughout the region.(1) Gunshots kill between 73,000 and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: NACLA
39011
Honduras
Honduras Homicide Rate in 2013 Was 79 per 100,000 Population [ES]
5 August 2014
La Prensa (Honduras), Agence France Presse
[Translated summary: A country where the homicide rate in 2013 was 79 per 100,000 population, making it the highest in the world. Since 1973, the Military Pension Institute (IPM) has had a monopoly on the import and sale of firearms through its stores called "The Armoury". Between 1975 and 2012, "The Armoury" sold 180,147 firearms.]
Honduras, el país con la tasa más alta de homicidios del mundo, requiere un "sistema integral de control de armas" pero "no se logra... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa (Honduras), Agence France Presse
38833
Honduras
Seized Weapons Are Destroyed in Honduras [ES]
29 July 2014
Diaro Digital (Honduras)
[Translated summary: The Armed Forces of Honduras destroyed 5,000 seized firearms on July 29, 2014.]
Las fuerzas armadas de Honduras destruyeron este martes 29 de julio más de cinco mil armas de fuego decomisadas a capturados de crimen organizado en ese país.
El comandante Elvin Noé Corea indicó que estas pistolas y fusiles representan un peligro y ayudan a prevenir el crimen y brindar seguridad a la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Diaro Digital (Honduras)
38866
El Salvador
El Salvador's Military Suspected of Dealing Firearms to Gangs
16 June 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Salvador's street gangs have been ambushing police with military-grade weapons, leading to fears the gangs, for the first time, have police outgunned. Is the Salvadoran military the source of their firepower?
In recent months, gangs have shot at police with M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles in multiple lethal attacks, raising questions about the source of their weaponry. Now, an investigation has unearthed evidence that the military itself is trafficking guns, and El... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38762
Nicaragua
Are Gun Seizures Why Homicides Are Falling in Nicaragua?
5 June 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Nicaragua have identified the seizure of thousands of firearms over the past several years as the main reason for a large drop in the country's homicide rate, but experiences around the region suggest the issue is unlikely to be so simple.
According to Nicaragua's National Police, the seizure of 19,000 illegally owned firearms between 2008 and 2013 has played a critical role in reducing the country's homicide rate from 11 homicides per 100,000 residents... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38742
El Salvador
Army Blocks Gun Trafficking Probe, El Salvador Corruption Suspected
4 June 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
An apparent attempt to hinder an investigation into arms trafficking in El Salvador's army has sparked a harsh exchange of words between government officials and raises questions about what the military may have to hide.
On May 30, military personnel barred members of the Attorney General's Office from seizing documents as part of a probe into the illegal theft and sale of arms by high-ranking military officials between 2009 and 2013.
El Salvador's Attorney General... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38736
El Salvador
Six Killed, Four Injured in Bus Ambush, Shooting in El Salvador
23 May 2014
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
SAN SALVADOR – Six people were killed and four others wounded early Friday when armed men opened fire on an intercity bus in the central province of La Paz, Salvadoran police said.
The attackers were apparently wearing uniforms of Fondo Vial, the government agency responsible for road maintenance, media accounts said.
The shooting took place near the town of San Luis Talpa as the bus was making a regularly scheduled run from the eastern province of Usulutan to San... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
38705
Belize
Belize Opposition Party Wants Gun Laws Relaxed
21 May 2014
Breaking Belize News
Earlier this year the Government of Belize indicated interest in revising the gun laws after a series of controversies, including the release of public officer Reynaldo Verde from a mooted firearm charge and the release of Police Corporal Gino Peck after a little-used section of the law was implemented.
But planned consultations have not taken place and the People's United Party (PUP) proposed amendments have not been responded to.
Today the party said it would... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Breaking Belize News
38694
Belize
Belize Cop Charged Over Theft of Eight Revolvers from Police Safe
7 May 2014
Breaking Belize News
Police have arrested and charged one of their own in connection with the theft of a cache of weapons and ammunition from inside a safe at the San Pedro Police Station over the Labor Day holiday.
Constable Yannick Wade, 27, has been arrested and charged for the two counts of kept firearm without a gun license and two counts of kept ammunition without a gun license. PC Wade has been additionally charged for the crime of theft.
The charges arose out of the theft of eight... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Breaking Belize News
38642
Austria,Guatemala,European Union
EU, Austria Classify Guatemala High Risk, Refuse to Export Glocks [ES]
5 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala), Editorial
[Translated summary: Austria and the European Union see a high risk of corruption and human rights abuse in Guatemala, and so refuse to export Glock pistols for local police.]
¿Armas europeas para cometer hechos criminales?, de ninguna manera dice Austria
A la Fábrica Glock Ges. m.b.H, con sede en Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, se le complicó cumplir con un pedido del Ministerio del Interior, luego que el Gobierno austriaco le negara la petición de exportar al país 3... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Periódico (Guatemala)
38639
Guatemala,Austria,Italy
Uproar as Guatemalan Police Import Glock, Beretta Pistols [ES]
3 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: Amid allegations of police corruption in Guatemala, a leaked Austrian document denies an export permit for 3000 Glock pistols. The Italian government approved the export of 14,142 Berettas.]
Gobierno deberá responder por informe presentado por Austria
Dicha nación denegó en marzo pasado la licencia de exportación de armas destinadas a la PNC, por considerar que el uso de estas podría desviarse para fines criminales.
Las armas adquiridas... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Periódico (Guatemala)
38638
Guatemala
Austrian Govt Denies Export Permit to Guatemala for 3000 Handguns [ES]
2 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala)
[Translated summary - The Austrian government has denied a permit for the export of 3000 Glock pistols due to concerns about the high rate of corruption and crime in Guatemala, and the risk that the firearms could be diverted for criminal purposes.]
La decisión fue tomada por dicho país luego de una investigación en la que se concluye que existe un alto índice de corrupción y criminalidad en Guatemala, y que el uso de armas podría desviarse para fines... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Periódico (Guatemala)
38620
El Salvador
El Salvador Police Seize Over 100 Guns in Holiday Sting [ES]
22 April 2014
Diario El Mundo (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: 107 firearms were seized by the El Salvador police over an eight day holiday period in April, including handguns, shotguns, rifles and two machine guns. Over 80% of crimes in El Salvador are committed with guns.]
La Policía Nacional Civil, (PNC) decomisó 107 armas de fuego durante el periodo vacacional de Semana Santa, comprendido entre el 12 al 20 de abril.
Según el reporte, la mayoría de las incautaciones fueron pistolas 9 milímetros,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Diario El Mundo (El Salvador)
38595
Slovenia,Malta,El Salvador,Denmark,Croatia,Hungary,Finland,Estonia,France,Spain,Italy,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Germany,Slovakia,Ireland,Latvia,Romania
Methodists Welcome 18 Countries Ratifying Arms Trade Treaty Including UK
3 April 2014
Christian Today
The Methodist Church has praised the government's ratification of the UN's Arms Trade Treaty.
The President of the Methodist Conference, the Reverend Ruth Gee, hailed it as a "legal milestone that should help to protect those who are abused and oppressed".
Countries that ratify the treaty will be required to establish national arms regulators to control the exporting of conventional weapons and weapons components, and to properly regulate arms brokers. Domestic weapon... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Christian Today
38541
Peru,Colombia,Jordan,Mexico,Guatemala,Honduras,Uruguay,Argentina,Brazil
Gun Thefts From Peru Army Supplies Points to Possible Corruption, Trafficking
3 April 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Peru say the majority of arms used by criminal groups are stolen from private owners and security forces, highlighting a common regional phenomenon that is often facilitated by corrupt officials.
Specialists consulted by El Comercio said the majority of pistols and shotguns used by criminal groups in Peru were stolen from legitimate owners, rather than acquired through the black market. Authorities reported that 1,767 firearms were declared lost or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38530
Italy,United Kingdom,Slovakia,Germany,Romania,France,Spain,Bulgaria,Croatia,Malta,Denmark,El Salvador,Estonia,Finland,Hungary,Ireland,Slovenia,European Union,Latvia
18 Countries Ratify UN Arms Trade Treaty
2 April 2014
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — Eighteen countries, including five of the world's leading arms exporters, ratified a landmark treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade on Wednesday, giving a significant boost to the campaign for the treaty's entry into force.
The ambassadors of the 18 countries handed over the documents at a U.N. ceremony on the first anniversary of the General Assembly's adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, which is aimed at stemming the global... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
38525
Costa Rica
Over 21,000 Guns Destroyed in Costa Rica
28 March 2014
Tico Times (Costa Rica)
President Laura Chinchilla and Public Security Minister Mario Zamora donned safety glasses to bring a circular saw down on the last two firearms destroyed out of tens of thousands Wednesday in what authorities say was the largest single destruction of weapons in Costa Rican history.
In total, authorities destroyed 21,318 firearms and incinerated 872,882 small-caliber ammunitions.
"One of the most important blows to violence and crime has to do with the destruction of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tico Times (Costa Rica)
38521
Honduras
Judge, Attorney Gunned Down in Honduras
14 March 2014
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
TEGUCIGALPA – A judge and an attorney were fatally shot Friday in separate incidents in different parts of Honduras, bringing to 75 the number of legal professionals slain in the Central American country since 2010, authorities said.
Lenin Castañeda, a justice of the peace, was gunned down in front of his home in Tocoa, a city in the Caribbean coastal province of Colon, army Col. Rene Martinez told Radio America.
"We don't know who murdered him," the officer said.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
38459
Costa Rica
Rise of Gun Culture in Costa Rica
24 February 2014
Costa Rica Star
Even though statistics and public opinion surveys indicate that the administration of President Laura Chinchilla has been able to make good on the campaign promise of a safer Costa Rica, uncomfortable news reports about crimes against persons and property are prompting both Ticos and expats in Guanacaste and other affluent parts of the country to weigh their options with regard to firearms.
Gun culture was practically non-existent in Costa Rica until the turn of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Costa Rica Star
38411
Honduras
Insecurity Fuels Honduras' Illegal Gun Ownership of Over 1 Million
13 February 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Two thirds of the 1.8 million guns in Honduras are reportedly circulating illegally, with the country's geography and high perceptions of insecurity fueling gun ownership.
According to newspaper La Tribuna, just 600,000 guns are legally registered, leaving 1.2 million guns in undocumented circulation. The total figure, if accurate, equates to nearly one gun for every four people in the country, with La Tribuna reporting their total estimated value to be $1.8... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38365
Honduras
Over 1 Million Illegal Guns Circulating in Honduras [ES]
11 February 2014
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: New figures suggest there are 1.8 million firearms in Honduras, although only 600,000 of these firearms are legally registered. A former police official says that insecurity is a key reason why citizens are purchasing guns, despite a number of laws aimed at restricting gun ownership.]
Cortés, Atlántida, Colón, Copán y Francisco Morazán, concentran la mayor cantidad de armas prohibidas, según trascendió hoy martes.
Por cada cuatro... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Tribuna (Honduras)
38363
El Salvador
Homicide Rate Rising in El Salvador, Guns Used in Over 1,600 Murders
14 January 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Salvador's overall 2013 homicide rate fell slightly in comparison to 2012, but the steady rise of recent months has continued in 2014, undermining the gains made as a result of the truce between the country's main gangs.
According to figures released by El Salvador's forensic institute Medicina Legal (IML) there were a total of 2,492 murders in the country in 2013, at an average of 6.83 murders per day. This represents a 4 percent drop on 2012, when IML recorded a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38279
Honduras
Honduras Police Seized Over 2,000 Firearms in 2013 [ES]
5 January 2014
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras Police seized over 2,000 last year according to authorities. Firearms offences are subject to penalties of between 6-60,000 lempiras.]
JUTICALPA, Olancho - Por diversas causas, los agentes de la Policía Nacional Preventiva decomisaron más de 2,000 armas de fuego el año pasado, confirmó el subcomisionado Gustavo Sánchez, comandante de la Jefatura Departamental Número 115, con asiento en esta ciudad.
Agregó que el proceso a seguir... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Tribuna (Honduras)
38246
Costa Rica
Costa Rica has Seized More Than 8,000 Illegal Firearms Since 2010
3 December 2013
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
SAN JOSE – Costa Rican authorities have seized more than 8,000 firearms since President Laura Chinchilla took office in May 2010, the Security Ministry announced Tuesday.
"It is important to emphasize the planning and preventive work that is being carried out at different places in the national territory and conflict zones, where we are seizing these weapons every day to thus prevent crimes and violent acts," said Security Minister Mario Zamora in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
38153
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Police Work With Schools to Prevent Gun Crime
21 November 2013
Tico Times (Costa Rica)
Jenifer Lizano lives in one of the five most violent places in Costa Rica, the neighborhood of León XIII in the northern San José canton of Tibás.
"Guns are used here on a daily basis and there are shootings at any time of the day," she said.
In the first 10 months of 2013, 15 people have been murdered in the urban neighborhood.
Some victims are children, including Lizano's 14-year-old nephew, who was killed by a stray bullet two years ago. Since then, Lizano... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tico Times (Costa Rica)
38101
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Shooting Leaves At Least Twelve People Injured
4 November 2013
Inside Costa Rica
A man opened fire after leaving a bar last night, leaving at least twelve people wounded, one of them seriously. The incident took place in La Carpio, a low-income area of San José.
According to the Regional Director of the Fuerza Publica in San José, Juan Carlos Arias, a man opened fire and shot indiscriminately at bystanders shortly after leaving a bar.
Eleven people were reported to be in stable condition. One person was seriously injured, requiring surgery. That... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inside Costa Rica
38048
Guatemala,Honduras
Guatemala Gun Homicide Rate Double World Average: Report
23 October 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new study has found Guatemala's firearm homicide rate is almost twice the global average, with the violence fuelled by the large number of illegal arms circulating in the country.
A new report published by the National Economic Research Center (CIEN) found the rate of homicides linked to firearms in Guatemala over the last decade was 82 percent. This is almost double the global average of 42 percent, and above even Central America's relatively high average of 70... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
38012
Paraguay,Panama,United States,Costa Rica
Costa Rica Puts Gun Permit Applications Online
1 October 2013
Tico Times
Starting Tuesday, aspiring gun owners in Costa Rica can now obtain their permits online, part of a larger trend by the government to include more services on the web.
The head of the Public Security Ministry, Mario Zamora, made the announcement at a Tuesday press conference in the western San José neighborhood of La Sabana. Zamora noted that the system will make it easier for permit-holders and will be a law enforcement tool, tracking the country's firearms.
"The new... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tico Times
37935
Honduras
Honduras Authorities Destroy 3,000 Crime Guns
26 September 2013
InfoSurHoy (USA)
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The Honduran Army on Sept. 25 destroyed about 3,000 firearms it seized from organized crime groups as part of a program supported by the Organization of American States (OAS), according to Col. Jeremías Arévalo, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces.
The weapons, which included pistols, AK-47 rifles, rocket launchers and machine guns, were destroyed with chainsaws in a ceremony that was attended by Honduran Defense Minister Marlon Pascua,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InfoSurHoy (USA)
37936
Honduras
Honduras Destroyed 3,000 Seized Weapons [ES]
24 September 2013
RPP Noticias (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras Armed Forces destroyed 3,000 seized firearms, through a Programme of the Organization of American States (OAS).]
El Ejército hondureño destruyó armas de fuego decomisadas al crimen organizado, en el marco de un programa apoyado por la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA).
El Ejército hondureño destruyó unas 3.000 armas de fuego decomisadas al crimen organizado, en el marco de un programa apoyado por la Organización de Estados... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RPP Noticias (Honduras)
38867
Honduras
Criminal Groups Use Women to Move Guns in Honduras
9 September 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Honduras say recent arrests of women transporting weapons indicate they are now being used by criminal groups for arms trafficking, among other tasks, another illustration that the role of women in organized crime is growing in Latin America.
According to a Honduran police spokesperson, six women have been arrested in recent days carrying weapons, reported El Proceso. Two of these women were caught September 2, after authorities stopped a bus northwest... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37856
Russia,Trinidad & Tobago,Caribbean,Nicaragua,United States,Canada,Guinea-Bissau,Libya,Mexico,Colombia
Small Arms: The Worldwide Scourge
8 September 2013
Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
Trinidad and Tobago is awash with guns. Gang leaders, bandits, drug smugglers are armed and shooting at each other, at citizens, at the police without hesitation. The majority of the weapons are small arms and they are usually "imported" with illegal drugs or there is an exchange of drugs for arms. Drug cartels use their illicit profits to purchase these guns, the two trades being intertwined, according to the latest report from the United Nations Office for Disarmament... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
37845
Guatemala
Guatemala Introduces Pre-Trial Jail for All Accused of Gun Charges
4 September 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Anybody caught carrying a gun in Guatemala will go straight to jail following an amendment to the criminal code, though it is questionable to what extent this will positively impact citizen security.
Guatemala's Congress passed an amendment to Article 264 of the country's Code of Criminal Procedure so that anyone detained on suspicion of major crimes including murder, kidnapping and carrying unregistered guns will automatically go into pre-trial detention. Previously... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37833
Brazil,Mexico,South America,Central America,Uruguay,Honduras,Chile,Venezuela,Colombia
Do Stricter Gun Laws Reduce Gun Violence in Latin America?
4 September 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Latin America has some of the highest gun homicide rates in the world, despite certain countries having relatively strict gun control laws, raising the question: to what extent, if any, does tighter legislation help to lower homicide rates and violent crime in the region?
The short answer to this question is that there is no clear correlation. A look at six countries with widely differing gun legislation and gun homicide statistics - Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37828
Costa Rica
Gun Sales Drop in Costa Rica, Authorities Attribute to Tough Laws
28 August 2013
Costa Rica Star
Less guns, more bullets: According to figures recently reported by Ronny Rojas of news daily La Nacion, there is a clear interest among people in Costa Rica in purchasing firearms of higher round (ammunition) capacity. In 2012, gun dealers in Costa Rica imported 4,540 semiautomatic pistols, double the annual rate since 2010. Revolvers, on the other hand, are losing favor; only 367 were imported in 2012, compared to 7,471 in 2007.
Revolvers usually hold up to eight... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Costa Rica Star
37807
El Salvador,Colombia
Weapons Surrendered by El Salvador Gangs Useless
8 August 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Revelations that weapons handed over by Mara gangs do not work, combined with rising murder rates, are calling into question the validity of the truce between El Salvador's two main street gangs.
Analysis of around 500 weapons handed over by Mara gangs since June 2012, carried out by both Salvadoran and US authorities, revealed that the vast majority were not in working order. The surrender of the weapons was hailed at the time as evidence of the importance and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37751
Honduras
Up to 17 People Dead in Honduras After Drug Gang Shootout
7 August 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Up to 17 people died in a shootout in an isolated drug trafficking hub along Honduras' Mosquitia coast in a clash over 700 kilos of cocaine involving Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Mexican gangs.
While the Honduran Ministry of Defense announced they had confirmed the death of four alleged drug traffickers, prosecutors said they had unofficial information showing a total of 17 deaths, among them women and children, reported Proceso Digital.
According to the military,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37750
Nicaragua
Nicaragua's Rise in Violence Linked to Gangs, Arms Trafficking
31 July 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Experts have attributed a recent increase in violence Nicaragua's semi-autonomous northeast region to the presence of organized crime and arms trafficking, something likely related to the area's status as a stop off on drug trafficking routes.
The director of the Violence Prevention Center (CEPREV), Monica Zalaquett, said organized crime and arms trafficking are two factors that may have contributed to a recent rise in homicides in Nicaragua's North Atlantic Autonomous... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37922
Guatemala
Thousands of Guatemalans Arrested Over Illegal Guns [ES]
25 July 2013
El Semanario (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Over 4,100 people have been arrested in Guatemala for illegal weapons possession since January 2012 as authorities consider law reform to increase penalties. Official data shows 14,090 people are licensed to carry guns while a new strategy to disarm criminal groups is under way. 90% of homicides are gun-related and 80% of victims are between 14 - 24 years old.]
Guatemala, Guatemala.- El ministro de Gobernación de Guatemala, Mauricio López... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Semanario (Mexico)
37702
Honduras,Caribbean
Caribbean Needs to Stem Illegal Trade in Small Arms
23 July 2013
Cayman News Service
The Caribbean's ambassador to the United Nations has said the region needs to address the small arms trade which is causing intense violence in its communities. Speaking at the seventh general meeting of CARICOM and the UN in New York Monday, Irwin Larocque, CARICOM's Secretary-General said citizen security was of paramount concern as the "dimensions of the scourge of crime" increased and the region was plagued by the illegal trade in small arms. The Caribbean is a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cayman News Service
37687
Venezuela,Honduras,South America
Venezuela Experiment: Will a Gun Ban Stop the Murders?
15 July 2013
Lowell Sun (USA)
LIMA, Peru — Besieged by one of the world's highest murder rates, Venezuelans are hoping against hope that new gun controls may finally halt the violent crime wave engulfing their country.
The new Disarmament Law will restrict purchases of guns and ammunition to the army, police and the country's booming private security industry. Previously, anyone with a permit could legally buy a gun in Venezuela.
Signed into law in June by President Nicolas Maduro and due to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Lowell Sun (USA)
37663
Guatemala,El Salvador,Honduras
'Iron Fist' Policies Feed Central America Gang Violence: Study
3 July 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Harsh and repressive actions taken against gangs by Central American governments have served to worsen violence, according to the independent research project Small Arms Survey, highlighting the need for policy alternatives.
The Small Arms Survey's research director, Anna Alvazzi del Frate, told EFE that attacking gangs and eliminating leaders ends up causing more violence, and that these kinds of "mano dura" - or "iron fist" - policies have failed throughout the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37639
Guatemala,Belize
Belize Authorities Charge Two Guatemalans Over Unlicensed Guns
20 June 2013
Guardian (Belize City)
Two Guatemalans were arraigned at the Belmopan Magistrate's Court on Tuesday of this week, five days after their encounter with a Belizean patrol. Last Friday, the Friends for Conservation and Development, the Belize Defense Force and the Special Patrol Unit were on a joint patrol on the Caracol Road when they encountered two Guatemalans.
The Caracol Road is about 2.2 kilometers from the Tapir Camp and 8.5 kilometers from the Belize Guatemala Border.
In the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (Belize City)
37602
Honduras
Fighting Guns With Graffiti in Honduras
13 June 2013
al Jazeera
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - It's almost sundown and a small sport utility vehicle glides through one of the most dangerous cities in the world which has been overrun by rival gangs and organised crime.
During the drive, dozens of Hondurans are seen making their way home, wary of the time to ensure they get there before dark. The SUV crosses a bridge and parks on the sidewalk, just two blocks away from the capital Tegucigalpa's red-light district.
It is here where Urban... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
37564
Honduras
80% of Crimes in Honduras Committed with Unregistered Guns
21 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
According to a Congressional committee that handles public security issues, some 80.5 percent of all crimes in Honduras are committed with unregistered guns, as the country prepares to debate a new set of gun reform laws.
A member of the committee told El Heraldo that only 23 percent of the weapons circulating in Honduras are registered.
This is slightly lower than a previous estimate released by the Honduran government's human rights commission (CONADEH), which... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37475
Guatemala
32 Gang Firearms Used in Over 230 Guatemala Homicides [ES]
8 May 2013
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
A ballistics report prepared by the National Forensic Science Institute (Inacif) established that 32 firearms, which were held by members of the Mara Salvatrucha, have been used in 238 homicides, according to the Public Ministry. PM have evidence against the leaders of Mara Salvatrucha.
This scientific evidence presented by Inacif was obtained through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (Ibis, in English), which consists of a database that stores images and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
37511
Guatemala
32 Crime Guns Linked to Over 230 Murders in Guatemala
8 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Forensic analysis has revealed that the MS-13 gang in Guatemala used 32 guns to allegedly commit 238 murders, offering insight into the gang's modus operandi and highlighting some of the difficulties of tackling organized crime with gun control.
Members of Guatemala's National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif) used the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (Ibis) to identify 1,133 guns that had been used in multiple crimes, reported Prensa Libre.
Of those... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37424
United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Report Traces Arms Trafficking from US to Guatemala
8 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new report sheds light on a little-studied subject: the trafficking of US weapons into Guatemala, a relatively limited phenomenon that could be far bigger than suggested by the available data and may play a role in the continuing violence and criminality in that Central American nation.
The report (pdf), from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, reviews an analysis that the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37423
El Salvador
El Salvador Police Report 45% Drop in Homicides After Gang Truce
2 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The number of murders in El Salvador so far in 2013 is 45 percent lower than the previous year, providing a reminder of the benefits of the country's gang truce at a time when the agreement is coming under increasing pressure.
From January to April this year, there were 694 recorded murders, according to the National Police (PNC), 530 less than the same period in 2012. January saw the highest number of murders with 191, while April had the lowest with 148, reported El... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37401
Yemen,Argentina,Costa Rica,Libya,Germany,United States,Brazil,Paraguay,Austria
Most Brazilian Guns Exported to US
29 April 2013
Folha de Sao Paulo
BRASILIA - The U.S., currently discussing restrictions on the sale of firearms, purchased 7.9 million guns from Brazil in the past 40 years, and 59% of those were exported during the Lula administration (2003-2010).
That is the result of a new study by the Army Command to which Folha had access through the Access to Information Act, with a detailed record of the sellers and buyers of 9.9 million revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns, among other weapons, exported... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Folha de Sao Paulo
37390
Costa Rica
30 Costa Ricans Apply for Firearm Permits Each Day, Citing Crime Worries
15 April 2013
Inside Costa Rica
Citing ongoing concerns about crime in the country, some 30 Costa Ricans now apply each day for permission to carry a firearm.
The fact that Costa Ricans are arming themselves at a faster rate than before is evident from the long lines that form early each morning outside the Department of Arms and Explosives of the Ministry of Security, where permits are requested.
"You choose to arm yourself because of so many things you see on the street. Where I live is peaceful... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inside Costa Rica
37326
South Africa,Haiti,South Sudan,Sierra Leone,Liberia,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Oceania,Southern Africa,Central America,East Asia,Southern Europe,Western Europe,North Africa,East Africa,South Asia,South America
Some 437,000 People Murdered Worldwide in 2012 - UNODC Study
10 April 2013
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Media release
VIENNA - Almost half a million people (437,000) across the world lost their lives in 2012 as a result of intentional homicide, according to a new study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Launching the Global Study on Homicide 2013 in London today, Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, said: "Too many lives are being tragically cut short, too many families and communities left shattered. There is an urgent need to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
38560
Guatemala
Guatemala Authorities say Most Homicides Occur in Just 25 Municipalities
8 April 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Over 80 percent of homicides in Guatemala take place in just 25 of the country's 334 municipalities, according to President Otto Perez Molina, highlighting the concentrated nature of the violence sweeping the country.
The violence ridden municipalities are spread across twelve of Guatemala's 22 departments, however, the highest number are found in the vicinity of Guatemala City, where 45 percent of murders take place, said Perez, referring to an unpublished report by... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37294
El Salvador,Honduras,Jamaica
Jamaica Police Propose Tough New Laws to Address Gun Homicide Rate
1 April 2013
Gleaner (Jamaica)
Seeking to take the monster of crime by the scruff, the Jamaican police have proposed radical legislative changes that would provide, among other things, lengthy prison sentences for gun-related crimes.
The recommendation forms the linchpin of the Jamaica Gun Project, an initiative conceptualised by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to stem the hundreds of gun-related crimes the island records each year.
"Gun offenders give us the equivalent in Jamaica of one 9/11... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gleaner (Jamaica)
37260
Austria,Costa Rica
Austrian Pensioner Shoots and Kills Girlfriend, Self in Costa Rica
28 March 2013
Inside Costa Rica
An Austrian citizen in Guanacaste shot his partner twice before turning the gun on himself Tuesday night, according to the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ).
The murder-suicide occurred in the couple's home in Villa Margarita, 400 meters north of the main traffic lights in Liberia, Guanacaste, where the couple had lived for about five years.
The Judicial Police identified the man by the last name Ladstetter, 71, and his partner by the last name of Achio,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inside Costa Rica
37250
Honduras
Gun Homicides an Increasing Risk for Honduras Lawyers
21 March 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
More than 50 lawyers were murdered in Honduras between 2010 and 2012, according to a government report, with almost total impunity for their killers.
In the first three years of President Porfirio Lobo's rule 53 lawyers were murdered, yet only two people have been convicted in the cases, according to a report submitted to the Honduran Congress by the country's National Human Rights Commission.
The lawyers, 43 of whom were men, worked not only in criminal law, but also... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37217
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
37196
Guatemala
In First Two Months of 2013: One Child Died Everyday in Guatemala [ES]
12 March 2013
Te Interesa (Spain)
[Translated summary: At least one child died every day in Guatemala by the action of a firearm during the first two months of 2013, warned the Human Rights Office of the Archbishop of Guatemala (ODHAG).]
Al menos un niño murió cada día en Guatemala por la acción de un arma de fuego durante los dos primeros meses de 2013, advirtió ayer la Oficina de Derechos Humanos del Arzobispado de Guatemala (ODHAG).
Nery Rodenas, director de la ODHAG, indicó en rueda de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Te Interesa (Spain)
37190
United States,Guatemala,Mexico
US Alone in 'Right to Bear Arms' Gun Rights Exceptionalism
7 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
What do Guatemala, Mexico and the U.S. have in common? They are among the very few countries throughout history whose constitutions have guaranteed the right to bear arms.
Our study of constitutions going back to 1789 shows that only a minority has ever included gun rights. What's more, the number has dwindled, leaving a small and motley set of bedfellows.
For some, this lonely position is enough to suggest that the U.S. should rethink the current interpretation of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bloomberg (USA)
38881
Europe,China,Asia,Americas,Oceania,Kenya,Cuba,Côte d'Ivoire,Africa,Central America,Russia,United States
Women Explain Why an Arms Trade Treaty Can Save Many Lives
7 March 2013
Amnesty International (London), Media release
It is estimated at least half a million people are killed with guns every year and on average a further 200,000 men, women and children die as an indirect result of armed conflicts and violence that are frequently fuelled by the uncontrolled flow of small arms.
And for every person that is killed in an armed conflict, many more are injured and tortured, raped, abused, forcibly disappeared, taken hostage or displaced. Even more have their access to food, water, shelter,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International (London)
37175
Costa Rica
30 per cent of Costa Rican Crime Committed with Toy Guns
6 March 2013
Inside Costa Rica
At least three in ten armed robberies in Costa Rica are committed using a toy gun, according to the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ). This week, authorities destroyed 487 such toy guns that were being held in evidence in the National Arsenal.
Among toy guns confiscated by officers are replicas of revolvers, shotguns, AK47's, and pistols of different calibers, according to authorities.
Costa Rican authorities also warned, "the use of replica toy guns is a risk... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inside Costa Rica
37146
Honduras
Honduras New Gun Law Could Allow Only One Gun per Person [ES]
1 March 2013
El Heraldo (Honduras)
[Translated summary: The right for a person to be licensed to carry up to five guns will be reversed in the new Firearms Control Act and is to be debated in Honduras Congress.]
La propuesta de reducir a un arma por persona es una recomendación de las Naciones Unidas. ¿Está de acuerdo?
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - La tendencia de que una persona puede obtener licencia para portar hasta cinco armas será revertida en la nueva Ley de Control de Armas que está por... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Heraldo (Honduras)
37134
Honduras
Honduras to Give Seized Guns to Security Forces
20 February 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Honduran officials have announced that confiscated firearms will be redistributed among the security forces, boosting ill-equipped agencies, and diverting the arms away from the black market.
Officials estimate the police currently have 4,000 weapons stored as evidence. Those that are legal in Honduras, for the most part handguns, will be distributed to police, military and Justice Department officials. The illegal guns, including AK-47s and carbines, will be... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37093
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Plans New Govt Commission to Regulate Guns
18 February 2013
Inside Costa Rica
A replacement text submitted by the Ministry of Public Security aims to create an interagency committee which would regulate the possession of firearms and ammunition in Costa Rica, as well as introduce a series of measures aimed at reducing homicides.
The commission would be composed of one member from the Ministry of Security, another from the Ministry of Justice, as well as a representative from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Labor, and the Health Ministry,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inside Costa Rica
37082
Nicaragua
Nicaragua Gangs Make or Purchase Guns from Drug Traffickers
6 February 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A report from a Nicaraguan think-tank analyzing crime and violence in one of the semi-autonomous zones on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast highlights the influence of the drug trade in the region, which helped bring about the country's highest incidence of crime in 2011.
The Nicaragua-based Institute of Strategic Studies and Public Policy (IEEPP) released the report analyzing crime rates in the municipality of Bilwi, the main city of the North Atlantic Autonomous Region... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37062
Costa Rica
Costa Rica to Tighten Gun Control, as Gun Crime Rises
25 January 2013
Tico Times (Costa Rica)
Two years ago, 32 women, 48 children and 172 men were killed by firearms in Costa Rica.
Those statistics glow from backlit posters on Avenida Escazú, southwest of the capital, and overlook highways in Curridabat, east of the city, emblazoned on giant billboards.
"The goal is to inform people that firearms in general have a negative effect," said Randal Arias, director of the governance and justice program at Costa Rica's Peace and Democracy Foundation and manager of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tico Times (Costa Rica)
36982
El Salvador
Peace Zone Launched in El Salvador, Gangs Asked to Hand in Guns
23 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The first "peace zone" has been inaugurated in El Salvador, launching the second phase of the gang truce, which could prove critical in determining whether the initiative is sustainable.
Gang leaders and mediators named Ilopango, a town near the capital, a violence-free area where no crimes will be committed. Gang members will hand in weapons and stop all crimes, including extortion, kidnapping, theft, and murder. Some 18 municipalities in the country may eventually... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36983
Mexico,Honduras
Over 100 Massacres in Honduras, Gangs and Gun Availability Blamed
8 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
In a clear sign of Honduras' worsening security crisis, statistics show that more than 100 massacres took place inside the country in 2012, with half of the deaths attributed to organized crime.
The Honduran Observatory on Violence, a program at Honduras' largest public university, used fieldwork and media monitoring to count 432 people dead in 115 massacres between January 1 and December 14 last year, reported newspaper El Heraldo.
Firearms were used in 85 percent... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36918
Guatemala,El Salvador,Venezuela,United States,Australia,Jamaica,Russia,Colombia
NRA 'Good Guys With Guns' Theory Already Disproved in Latin America
5 January 2013
New York Times
In the wake of the tragic shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month, the National Rifle Association proposed that the best way to protect schoolchildren was to place a guard — a "good guy with a gun" — in every school, part of a so-called National School Shield Emergency Response Program.
Indeed, the N.R.A.'s solution to the expansion of gun violence in America has been generally to advocate for the more widespread deployment and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36904
United States,El Salvador,Brazil,Philippines,Jamaica,South Africa,Swaziland,Guatemala,Panama,Mexico,Colombia,Honduras
Top 12 Countries for Firearms Related Deaths
17 December 2012
Forbes (USA)
Few major nations have the right to bear arms configured in their Constitution. Even fewer (as in we are the only one) have gun control legislation as a hot button political issue. The U.S. is the most violent core economy in terms of gun related deaths. It is also the leader in gun violence at school campuses. Yet, the U.S. does not lead the world in firearms related deaths. Countries where gangs and drugs are a problem top the list, even where there is strict gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Forbes (USA)
36832
Costa Rica,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Colombia,Brazil,El Salvador
Study Shows South America Gun Deaths More Likely in Cities [ES]
5 December 2012
Prensa Libre (Guatemala) / EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: A new study found that over 60 percent of gun homicides in Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador occur in large cities. ]
GINEBRA - El informe titulado "Violencia urbana armada" señala que las capitales de los países concentran buen parte de la violencia, por ejemplo la Ciudad de Guatemala o Managua, que contabilizan un 42 por ciento del total de los homicidios armados a nivel nacional.
El estudio, basado en cifras oficiales, revela también las... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Libre (Guatemala) / EFE News Agency
36801
Guatemala,Honduras
Guatemala Boosts Honduras Border Security to Prevent Gun Smuggling
27 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The government of Guatemala has announced that it will open a new security checkpoint along its border with Honduras, in an effort to cut down on smuggling along the 256 km-long border.
Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina announced on November 26 that the government would set up a new official border crossing into Honduras, in the northeastern province of Izabal.
Perez said that the crossing would help bring customs revenue to his country, and added that he was... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36775
Honduras,United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Guatemala, US Sign Gun Tracing Deal to Fight Trafficking
8 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Guatemala is set to gain access to the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) weapons tracing system, to track arms confiscated from criminal groups in the country.
Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz declared that the new agreement would give Guatemala access to the ATF's database, which is also used by Mexico to track the origin of seized weapons, reported Prensa Libre.
Paz y Paz also noted that granting access to Guatemala, a key transit... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36740
Mexico,Belize
Mexican Arrested in Belize Casino Raid, Weapons Seized [ES]
1 November 2012
Diario De Quintana Roo (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Belize authorities have revealed a Mexican man was arrested after a raid at a casino, which resulted in the seizure of unlicensed assault weapons and drugs.]
La Fuerza de Defensa de Belice (BDF) reveló que el mexicano detenido durante un operativo realizado en el casino Las Vegas, ubicado en la Zona Libre, es identificado como Zurisadey Villaseñor Méndez, de oficio taxista y comerciante de Chetumal. Durante el operativo se confiscaron armas... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Diario De Quintana Roo (Mexico)
36724
Honduras,Guatemala
Illegal Gun Arrests Show Lax Regulation of Guatemalan Security Firms
26 October 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Between two and three private security guards are arrested for possession of illegal arms each week in Guatemala City, according to a new report, highlighting concerns over the lack of regulation of the country's numerous private security firms.
Public prosecutors in Guatemala City see between two and three cases a week related to the arrest of a private security guards for possession of an unlawful firearm, reported Prensa Libre.
The confiscated weapons are turned... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36686
El Salvador
Authorities to Destroy 28,000 Weapons in El Salvador [ES]
10 October 2012
La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
[Translated Summary - El Salvador military to destroy stockpile of 28,000 weapons collected by authorities, after a court order.]
El ministro de Seguridad, David Munguía Payés, aseguró ayer que más de 28,000 armas de fuego de diferente calibre se encuentran en los almacenes de la Fuerza Armada de El Salvador (FAES) a la espera de que los juzgados ordenen su destrucción, como lo establecen los artículos 75 y 76 de la Ley de Control y Regulación de Armas,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
36634
Costa Rica
Costa Rica to Ban 'Hunting for Sport' in New Law to Protect Wildlife
3 October 2012
France 24
Costa Rica is set to be the first country in the American continent to ban recreational hunting after the country's legislature approved the popular measure by a wide margin.
The bill, which bans hunting for sport but still allows culling and subsistence hunting, was approved late Tuesday by a 41-5 vote. Congress will revisit the issue on Thursday, but the second round is seen as just a formality.
President Laura Chinchilla, who supports the measure, is expected to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: France 24
36614
United States,El Salvador
Former El Salvador Colonel Accused of Illegal Gun Deals
1 October 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Salvadoran prosecutors have accused a retired army coronel once in charge of its weapons stockpile of illegally selling arms, the latest such charge against the country's military.
An investigation by the Prosecutor General's organized crime unit found that retired Colonel Alberto Gonzalez Quezada sold two semi-automatic rifles to people who did not meet legal requirements to own them.
Gonzalez served as head of El Salvador's military's Logistics Division in 2010... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36606
Guatemala
Guatemala Police Allege Failed Extortions Cause of Bus Driver Shootings
27 September 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Three bus drivers were shot to death in a single day in Guatemala, illustrating the threat that the country's transport workers are under from criminal groups who demand extortion payments.
The first victim, Mario Augusto Salazar, was killed by three gunmen who were traveling as passengers in a bus he was driving between between two towns in southwestern Guatemala. Authorities are investigating whether he was killed for failing to pay extortion fees, reported La Prensa... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36597
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Authorities Regulate Security Companies' Guns
19 September 2012
Costa Rica News
One of the goals of the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) this year has been to ensure greater control of private security companies and agents who currently operate in the country.
Last Thursday, September 13th, the Minister of Public Security, Mario Zamora Cordero, and the Director of Private Security Services of the MSP, Andres Olsen Villegas, presented a report about the actions that have been implemented this year to regulate private security operations.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Costa Rica News
36568
Guatemala
Gun Homicide Rate in Guatemala Unchanged at 77 per cent
14 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
While Guatemala saw a significant drop in homicides in the first seven months of 2012 compared to the previous year, the country continues to face a serious problem of violence and insecurity.
Guatemala's national forensic institute, INACIF, registered 3,410 homicides between January and July of this year. This statistic is down 7.7 percent from the same period in 2011, when there were 3,695 murders, reports EFE.
Seventy-seven percent of these crimes were committed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36472
Honduras
Analysis: Honduras Gun Ban Aims to Curb Violence in Country's North
8 August 2012
InSight Crime
A new decree banning the public possession and transportation of weapons in northern Honduras, a key drug trafficking region, is intended to cut violence in the area though critics argue it will prevent farmers involved in a violent land struggle from arming themselves in self-defence.
The decree passed August 1 and prevents civilians from carrying weapons in public or in vehicles in Honduras' northern Colon province. La Tribuna published the full text of the law,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime
40754
Honduras
Honduras Gun Ban Aims to Curb Violence
3 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new decree banning the public possession and transportation of weapons in northern Honduras, a key drug trafficking region, is intended to cut violence in the area though critics argue it will prevent farmers involved in a violent land struggle from arming themselves in self-defense.
The decree passed August 1 and prevents civilians from carrying weapons in public or in vehicles in Honduras' northern Colon province. La Tribuna published the full text of the law,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
36425
Honduras
Over 25,000 Gun Deaths in Honduras Between 2005-2011 [ES]
23 July 2012
La Prensa (Honduras)
[Translated summary: 25,649 people were killed in Honduras, victims of firearms, between 2005 and 2011. At least eight out of ten homicides are committed with firearms, according to a study by the National Commissioner of Human Rights.]
25,649 personas perdieron la vida, víctimas de las armas de fuego, entre años 2005 y 2011.
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - Al menos ocho de cada diez homicidios que ocurren en Honduras son cometidos con armas de fuego, revela un informe... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa (Honduras)
36372
Honduras
Crying Need for a New Gun Control Law in Honduras [ES]
18 June 2012
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: According to the Center of Investigation and Promotion of Human Rights, Honduras current legislation is outdated, since there is no real control: 84 percent of deaths involve the use of firearms, and 74 percent of seized firearms are illegal, ie that people are not allowed to carry arms.]
SAN PEDRO SULA - Con el propósito de socializar el anteproyecto de "Ley de Control de Armas de Fuego, Municiones, Explosivos y Materiales Relacionados", este... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Tribuna (Honduras)
36276
Guatemala
7,987 Guns Registered under Women's Names in Guatemala [ES]
18 June 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: Responding to the increase of violence Guatemalans turn to firearms, as shown by the increase of licence applications.]
Guatemala - Las guatemaltecas encuentran en las armas de fuego una forma de defenderse de la violencia y aumentó el número de las que solicitaron licencia o ya las registraron para portarlas, afirma hoy una publicación.(RadioPL)
Ese incremento fue confirmado por la Dirección General de Control de Armas y Municiones, en tanto... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Latina (Havana)
36275
Guatemala
Guatemala Reported 149 Women Killed with Firearms [ES]
23 May 2012
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: A total of 227 women were murdered in Guatemala, most of them with firearms (149), in the first quarter of 2012, representing 16.74% less than the same period of 2011, said an official source.]
Un total de 227 mujeres fueron asesinadas en Guatemala, la mayoría de ellas con armas de fuego, en en el primer cuatrimestre de 2012, lo que representa un 16,74 % menos que el mismo periodo de 2011, reveló hoy una fuente oficial.
CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA -... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
36164
Honduras
Proposal for Law Against Carrying of Firearms in Honduras [ES]
9 May 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated Summary: Honduran social organisations are pushing for the approval of the Law for the control of firearms, munitions, explosives and related materials, so as to stop criminality in the most violent country in the world.]
TEGUCIGALPA - Organizaciones sociales hondureñas impulsan la aprobación de la Ley de Control de Armas de Fuego, Municiones, Materiales Relacionados y Explosivos, para frenar la criminalidad en el país más violento del mundo.
El... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Latina (Havana)
36117
Panama,Liberia,Oman,Yemen,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Mauritius,Seychelles,Mongolia,Djibouti,Madagascar,United Arab Emirates,United Kingdom,Somalia,Kenya
Anti-piracy Security Firms Keep Guns in Floating Armouries to Avoid Law
22 March 2012
Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya — Private security firms are storing their guns aboard floating armories in international waters so ships that want armed anti-piracy guards for East Africa's pirate-infested waters can cut costs and circumvent laws limiting the import and export of weapons, industry officials say.
Companies and legal experts say the operation of the armories is a "legal gray area" because few, if any, governments have laws governing the practice. Some security... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
35956
El Salvador
El Salvador Police Report the Seizure of 11 Guns per Day in 2012 [ES]
22 March 2012
La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: The Civil National Police (PNC) of El Salvador seized 901 firearms in 2012. According to Police, these firearms are linked to 56 homicides, 22 injuries, 27 robberies, 2 extortions and 6 thefts.]
La Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) reportó el decomiso de 901 armas de fuego y la captura de 11,667 personas entre el 1.º de enero y el 19 de marzo en todo el país, según el subdirector de Seguridad Pública, comisionado Howard Cotto.
"Esto es el... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
35942
Estonia,Dominican Republic,Ecuador,Ukraine,Kyrgyzstan,Moldova,Kazakhstan,Belize,Latvia,Venezuela,Belarus,Lithuania,Bahamas,Bolivia,Azerbaijan,Russia,Antigua & Barbuda,Guyana,South Africa,Jamaica,Honduras,Guatemala,El Salvador,South America,Colombia,Brazil,Central America,Caribbean
1/3 of Femicides Committed With Gun in Latin America and Caribbean [ES]
2 March 2012
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
[Translated summary: Nearly a third of crimes against women are committed with a firearm and in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras this indicator is 60% - Small Arms Survey.]
El mayor nivel de feminicidios se registra en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Catorce países latinoamericanos aparecen entre los 25 del mundo con la tasa más elevada de crímenes contra la mujer.
El informe de la organización de investigaciones independientes Small Arms Survey,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
35882
Southern Africa,South Africa,Swaziland,Angola,Congo (DRC),Mozambique,Namibia,Zimbabwe,Central America,South America,Caribbean,Central Africa,Europe,Asia,Africa,Americas,Oceania,Botswana,China,Czech Republic,Germany,Russia,United States,Philippines,Italy
High Gun Death Risk for Young African Men, Women at Home - UN Study
19 February 2012
Southern Times (Southern Africa)
WINDHOEK - Young men in Southern Africa are at the greatest risk of cold-blooded murder, while women in the region are more likely than others from around the world to be killed in domestic violence, a UN agency says.
The statistics from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) come as the region battles to contain the proliferation of gun-related crimes.
Experts have said gun-related crime is a major problem in South Africa and Swaziland, and is on the rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southern Times (Southern Africa)
35844
Costa Rica,Panama
Costa Rica Police Lost 215 Guns to Thieves, Some Found in Panama
18 February 2012
Inside Costa Rica
A total 17 of the 215 firearms stolen from the Policia de Tránsito warehouse almost two weeks ago were recovered by Panamanian police.
Jorge Rojas, director of Cost Rica's Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) said in a press conference on Friday that Panamanian police found the guns in a house and two unidentified suspects were in custody. Police also said they found us$11.000 in cash and empty bullet clips.
Rojas said that Costa Rican authorities are in contact... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inside Costa Rica
35843
Honduras
Honduras Police Prompt Amendments to the Act on Arms Carrying [ES]
12 February 2012
Proceso (Honduras)
[Translated summary: According to Honduras Director of National Police, there are inconsistencies in the current Act on Arms Carrying because it allows one person to possess five firearms. Thus in a family of five, they can legally possess 25 firearms.]
TEGUCIGALPA - La cúpula policial entregó al ministro de Seguridad, Pompeyo Bonilla, un paquete de reformas a la Ley de Portación de Armas, en la cual piden que se rebaje la cantidad de armas permitidas por la ley,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Proceso (Honduras)
35824
Mexico,El Salvador,Honduras,Venezuela,Brazil,Colombia
Colombia Capital Tries Trial Ban on Guns in Public
2 February 2012
New York Times / AP
BOGOTA, Colombia — Gustavo Petro was imprisoned as a rebel in the 1980s on a weapons conviction. As Bogota's new mayor, he wants to get firearms off the streets of this city where the conspicuous display of guns has long been the norm.
So he's trying an experimental ban on gun-wielding in public.
The only people authorized to carry weapons during the 90-day trial that began Wednesday are active and retired police and soldiers, bodyguards of diplomats, politicians,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times / AP
35792
Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia,Kuwait,Qatar,Mexico,Peru,Venezuela,Colombia,Bolivia,Somalia,Nepal,Oman,Latvia,Mauritius,Guyana,Congo (DRC),Bosnia & Herzegovina,Saudi Arabia,Liberia,Kazakhstan,Singapore,Dominican Republic,Jordan,Trinidad & Tobago,United Arab Emirates,Guatemala,Honduras,Chile,Ecuador,Argentina,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (ROC),Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Côte d'Ivoire,Egypt,Burkina Faso,Brazil,Tunisia,Sri Lanka,Pakistan,Philippines,Yemen,United States,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Russia,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,South Africa,Algeria,Angola,Botswana,Ghana,Guinea,Madagascar
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [PT]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Publica (Brazil)
35794
Europe,Americas,El Salvador
El Salvador Destroyed 3,817 Guns in 2011, 36,000 Since 2000 [ES]
13 December 2011
Info Defensa (El Salvador), Media release
[Translated summary: El Salvador Ministry of Defence destroyed 3,817 firearms in 2011. Amongst these, 2,782 handguns, 856 rifles and 179 hand-made artifacts. Since 2000, 36,000 firearms were destroyed in El Salvador.]
SAN SALVADOR – El Ministerio de la Defensa Nacional de El Salvador destruyó la semana pasada más de 3.000 armas irregulares que fueron decomisadas en diferentes acciones policiales durante el año 2011. Según informó Defensa, a través de un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Info Defensa (El Salvador)
35657
Mexico,Pakistan,Venezuela,United States,El Salvador,Colombia,Australia,Norway,Canada,Israel,Honduras,Jamaica
Armed Societies, Another Tragedy for Women: Mexico, Pakistan, Venezuela
9 December 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
CARACAS - Kairobis Arcia, 25, died from a bullet to her head shot by her husband, Oswaldo Mendoza, 32, who said he was blinded by jealousy in an argument fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Her murder was just one of the more than 468,000 homicides a year that occur worldwide, 42 percent of which are committed with firearms. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global murder rate is 6.9 per 100,000 people – 11.9 per 100,000 among men and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
35654
Guatemala
San Benito, Guatemala: 131 Gun Homicides per 100,000 Inhabitants in 2010
7 December 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A disturbing new report by elPeriodico shows how the Internet is being used to target alleged criminals in Guatemala. As with Anonymous' threats to "out" Zetas in Mexico, the case illustrates how cyber justice can get ugly fast.
The investigation says that four websites have identified 39 alleged members of street gangs or other criminal groups in San Benito, a municipality in Peten, Guatemala's most violent state, over the past three years. At least 10 of these were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35643
Mexico,Nicaragua,Turkey
Mexico Makes Biggest-Ever Seizure of Smuggled Guns, Source Unknown
29 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Federal authorities confiscated 911 guns from a container ship in the port of Lazaro Cardenas, on Mexico's Pacific, which was headed to Nicaragua.
The guns were found on board a cargo ship en route to Nicaragua, during a planned stop at the Michoacan port of Lazaro Cardenas. The ship is believed to be of Turkish origin, but no information was provided on the origin or destination of the weapons.
The operation was carried out by Mexico's Navy, working with the Federal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35607
Caribbean,Central America,South America,North America,United States,Uruguay,Colombia,Mexico,Argentina,Brazil,Paraguay,Bolivia,Chile,Ecuador,Peru,Venezuela
Latin American Governments Target Gun Runners, Countries Making Guns
28 November 2011
United Press International
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - Latin America's increasingly ambitious Mercosur regional bloc is aiming to focus on small arms suppliers who are seen as being behind the region's endemic and seemingly insurmountable problem of violent crime.
The area's disparate armed groups, guerrillas with political agenda and drug-related gangs have drawn attention from Mercosur's watchdog committees as senior officials explore ways of containing organized crime, rooting out myriad networks... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Press International
35594
Guatemala,Mexico,United States,Central America
Guatemala and the Black Market for US Weapons
25 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The trafficking of weapons over the U.S.-Mexico border is well-documented -- lesser known but also significant is the sale of U.S. weapons to Guatemalan government contractors, which are then siphoned off to criminal groups.
The Mexican government has focused much of its efforts to stop arms trafficking on the smuggling of weapons over the U.S. border. This strategy ignores other sources of weapons, and other entry points. Central America, for example, represents a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35588
El Salvador
El Salvador Police Count 128,000 Gun Registrations Lapsed, Now Illegal
25 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Over 128,000 firearms without a government permit are currently circulating in El Salvador, according to the national police.
The police said that a total of 220,493 firearms have been officially registered in El Salvador since 1994. However, permits for more than half of these weapons have now expired. "This means that citizens have now lost the right to carry them legally," Augusto Cotto said.
Under the rules set by the Ministry of Defense, an authorization permit... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35584
Guatemala,United States,Mexico,Costa Rica,South America,Caribbean,Central America
Gun Trade Drives Soaring Latin American Homicide Rates, say Experts
24 November 2011
AFP
SAN JOSE — Illegal weapons trafficking has turned Latin America into a region of bloodletting in which over 40 percent of the world's homicides take place, experts warned Wednesday.
"Forty-two percent of homicides with a firearm that happen worldwide take place in Latin America, though only 10 percent of the world's population lives here," said Nobel laureate and former president Oscar Arias, citing UN data, at a conference of experts.
Although weapons such as... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: AFP
35583
El Salvador
El Salvador Government Seizes an Average of 12 Guns per Day in 2011
18 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Salvador's government has seized an average of 12 weapons per day so far in 2011, according to officials.
According to a report in La Prensa, Deputy Director of Public Safety Hugo Ramirez Mejia said that between January 1 and November 15 this year, the Firearms and Explosives Division (DAE) of the country's police force seized a total of 3,915 firearms.
Ramirez Mejia said this was a similar figure to those seized in the same period last year.
Since January 2010,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35554
Caribbean,Central America,South America,Honduras,United States,Mexico,El Salvador,Guatemala
Latin American Leaders Demand International Action on Arms Trafficking
11 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The 2011 Ibero-American Summit, held in Asuncion, Paraguay in October, was criticized for its failures, but leaders used the platform to call attention to the global arms trade and demand international cooperation on more effective measures to fight weapons trafficking and organized crime.
At the close of the summit, the member countries issued a separate and special declaration (available in pdf format here) defining public security as a precondition for economic and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35537
Honduras
3,000 Weapons Bought in Gun Buyback 'Disappear' from Honduran Police
10 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Heraldo newspaper is questioning the Honduran authorities about the disappearance of thousands of guns from government warehouses, amid fears they may have ended up on the black market.
El Heraldo is investigating the whereabouts of approximately 3,000 guns collected during President Maduro's administration, between the years 2002 and 2006. Maduro implemented a temporary gun buyback program, in which weapons could be surrendered to police in exchange for 1,000... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35539
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