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There are many dangerous places in the world. For people living in many western and Asian countries like Japan, they do not realize how true this statement actually is. However, in many places in the world, every day has one question. Will you survive today? Latin and South America holds the notorious distinction of being the area with the most dangerous cities in the world. Much of this violence is due to a variety of factors. These include drug related activities, gang wars, an unstable political climate, and poor economic conditions. The statistics are constantly changing. However, check out below for a list of some of the most dangerous cities in the world.
#10: Natal, Brazil
Natal, Brazil, is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte in the northeast part of Brazil. Traditionally, it has been tourist area in Brazil catering more to the local Brazilian population than to foreigners. However, it also ranks as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. As of 2017, Natal has had a reported 69.6 homicides per 100,000 residents. Much of this is due to gang violence between two Brazilian criminal organizations. They are Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Sindicato do Crime.
These criminal organizations primary do drug trafficking, highway robbery, and prison riots. In fact, one of the reasons for the increase in the number of homicides in the area is due to the Alcacuz prison uprising in Natal. Rival prison gangs fought and killed one another. Zemilton Silva, coordinator of the prison system in Natal said the following when talking about the brutality of the gangs in the prison system. “We could see the heads ripped off” of three of the dead prisoners.
#9: Valencia, Venezuela
Valencia, Venezuela, is the capital city of Carabobo State in the Northern part of Venezuela. It is the country’s third largest city. As such, it is one of the country’s economic hubs. Many of the country’s top industries and manufacturing companies have headquarters there. However, despite of this, Venezuela is still a developing country. It experiences many of the growing pains that come with political instability and hard economic times. In fact, there are many cities in Venezuela that are featured on this list of most dangerous cities in the world. As of 2017, Valencia has had a reported 72 homicides per 100,000 residents. Much of the crime comes from kidnapping, the illegal drug trade, theft, robbery, vandalism, corruption, bribery, assault, and armed robbery.[1]Express – Where are you most likely to get MURDERED? These are the world’s most DANGEROUS cities
#8: Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela
Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela is located in Bolivar State in northeast Venezuela. This city has a very planned layout, unlike many cities in South America. This leads to a very cookie cutter design, similar in style to track housing that can be found in many American cities.
It is located along the banks of the Orinoco river which influences much of the industry in the city. The city has two big industries. One is its port. In fact, many of the country’s biggest companies use the port’s access to the river to ship their product. The second is hydroelectric power from the river. However, despite all of this, as of 2017, Ciudad Guayana is plagued with crime making it one of the most dangerous cities in the world. It has a reported 82.8 homicides per 100,000 residents. Much of the crime is due to the easy access to guns, the poor slums in the area, and the abundance of gangs who take advantage of the previous two situations.[2]FAM INTERNATIONAL SECURITY WORLDS MOST VIOLENT CITIES
#7: San Salvador, El Salvador
San Salvador, El Salvador is the largest city and capital of El Salvador. It has a population over 1.7 million. As such, it holds the distinction of being the country’s political center. Additionally, it is also the country’s cultural, education, and financial centers. However, despite all of this and the government’s “extraordinary” anti-gang measures, this city remains one of the most dangerous cities in the world to live in.[3]InSight Crime – El Salvador Violence Rising Despite ‘Extraordinary’ Anti-Gang Measures
Some parts of the city remain very safe due to increased security for tourists (in fact, comparably to many western European cities). However, other areas bordering poor slums are much more dangerous. As of 2017, San Salvador saw 83.4 homicides per 100,000 residents. The crime in the city originally started during the country’s civil war in the 1980s. While most of the fighting took place in the countryside, rebels did attack the city occasionally. After the war, the violence continued with rival street gangs such as the 18th Street gang and the Mara Salvatrucha gang.
#6: Maturin, Venezuela
Maturin, Venezuela is the capital of Monagas State in northeast Venezuela. It serves as the country’s center for the development and exploration of the country’s oil industry. Also, due to its location along the banks of the Guarapiche River, it serves as a major transportation hub in the country. However, despite all of this, it remains the second most dangerous city in the whole country and one of the 10 most dangerous cities in the world.
As of 2017, Maturin saw a staggering 84.2 homicide per 100,000 residents. Similar to the rest of the country, much of the violence is due to criminal organizations rising up to fill the power vacuum caused by the poor economy. However, police in Maturin have also been accused of using excessive force and violence.[4]FAM INTERNATIONAL SECURITY WORLDS MOST VIOLENT CITIES This has led to a bloody cycle of retaliatory violence between police and local gangs.
#5: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
Ciudad Victoria, Mexico is the capital of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located in the northeast of Mexico a little under 200 miles from the border of the United States. The area along the border with the United States is highly sought after by the drug cartels. As such, there is currently a territorial fight between the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas (both Mexican drug cartels).[5]InSight Crime – Going to the Border in Tamaulipas, Mexico? Get a Police Escort They use it to smuggle their drugs to the US, who happens to be one of the biggest buyers of illegal substances in the world.
Needless to say, these cartels will do almost anything in order to get a piece of the American border pie. In fact, these cartels have used methods such as kidnapping, ransom, road side stick ups, as well as killing in order to try and take control in the area. As such, the homicide rate in the area has risen to a staggering 84.7 people per 100,000 residents making it one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
#4: Distrito Central, Honduras
Distrito Central consists of the sister cities of Tegucigalpa, Honduras and Comayagüela, Honduras. It is both the capital and largest city in Honduras. With over 14% of the country’s population living in just this area, it is quite crowded. It is also been hit with hard economic times that is much too common in Latin American countries. Local gangs have taken advantage of this situation by taking control of a lot of public services, such as taxis, in the city.[6]CityMetric – Tegucigalpa: a city of 850,000 people, and 600 murders a year On top of that, the government is not extra stable, making it hard for them to go after the criminals. As such, Distrito Central comes in as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. It has a homicide rate of 85.2 people per 100,000 residents.
#3: San Pedro Sula, Honduras
San Pedro Sula, Honduras is the capital city of the state of Cortes. It is located in the northwestern part of the country. It is both the industrial center and second largest city in the country. Until recently, it had the infamous title as the “murder capital of the world”. It has a current homicide rate of 112.1 people per 100,000 residents. As such, it still is one of the most dangerous cities in the world to live in. Gang activity causes much of the violence. Descendants of American grown gangs, such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS) and the 18th Street gang, who were sent back to Honduras, cause most of the problems. These gangs deal in illegal arms trafficking, smuggling cocaine for the Mexican drug cartels, and armed robberies against tourist buses traveling in the area.[7]OSAC – Honduras 2017 Crime & Safety Report
#2: Acapulco, Mexico
Acapulco, Mexico is located in the southern part of Mexico along the Pacific coast. Due to its location, it has historically been an important sea port. In the 1950s it rose in prominence as a vacation destination due to the many Hollywood stars and American millionaires who visited here in order to get a little slice of an exotic paradise.
Acapulco used to be a popular vacation destination. Now it is the murder capital of Mexico. But it is not just a drug war that is taking place in this city. In fact, the major drug cartel that used to run this area has broken up many years ago.[8]InSight Crime – Caracas World’s Most Violent City: Report Rather, local street gangs cause the high crime rate of 113.2 homicides per 100,000 residents making it one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Due to the poor security and corruption of the government in the area, they are able to run freely committing such crimes as extortion, kidnapping, theft, and assassinations.
#1: Caracas, Venezuela
Caracas, Venezuela is both the capital and largest city in Venezuela with a population of almost 2 million people. It is in the northern part of the country. The Cerro El Avilla mountain range sepeartes it from the Caribbean Sea. However, this city has earned itself a position at the top of the most dangerous cities in the world. It has the highest homicide rate outside of an active warzone at 130.4 homicides per 100,000 residents. This high rate of killings can be linked to both the nation’s political and economic crisis that has led to the rise of very large gangs.[9]InSight Crime – Caracas World’s Most Violent City: Report In fact, in many areas of the city, the gangs are bigger than the police forces trying to enforce the area, making it nearly impossible to insure the safety of local citizens.
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