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INSIDECOSTARICA.COM
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CENTRAL AMERICA
NEWS BRIEFS
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Tuesday 28
December 2010 |
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Guatemala:
Violence
Continues
in 2010
GUATEMALA
-
Violence
continues
to be a
serious
problem
in
Guatemala,
where
6,502
murders
were
reported
in the
past
year,
officials
said
Monday.
This
figure
compiled
by the
National
Civilian
Police
as of
Dec. 25,
is lower
than the
6,948
murders
reported
in 2009.
However,
greater
cruelty
in
perpetrating
such
crimes
was
reported,
such as
the
dismemberment
of
bodies.
Once
again,
the job
of urban
or
suburban
bus
driver
was a
highly
dangerous
one,
given
that 119
of them
and 59
of their
assistants
died
violent
deaths.
According
to the
Mutual
Support
Group (GAM),
owners
and
employees
of
stores
for food
and
other
items
were
also
targets
of
crime,
with 101
of them
killed.
In most
cases,
the
killings
were
committed
by
gunmen
sent by
extortionists
when the
victims
refused
to pay
the fees
required
to be
left in
peace.
Police
were not
left out
of these
statistics,
as 48
agents
were
killed
on duty
or were
attacked
from
behind
by
criminals.
According
to the
Interior
Ministry,
quoted
by
Prensa
Libre
newspaper,
60
percent
of
violent
deaths
this
year
were
linked
to
organized
crime
and
another
25
percent
to
fights
between
gangs or
over
territory.
The rest
were
divided
into
several
categories,
such as
crimes
of
passion
and
extortion.
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