Gun violence is a serious problem in many parts of the world. Mexico City is no exception. In recent years, government agencies in Mexico have begun taking steps to reduce gun violence, with positive results.

Latin America has the highest homicide levels in the world, despite having only 8.42 percent of the world’s population.¹ According to the Small Arms Survey, in 2017, more than 589,000 people died in violent crimes worldwide, the majority of which were concentrated in Central and South America.² It is also noteworthy to mention that these violent deaths were homicides in countries where there is currently no armed conflict, and 75 percent were committed with a firearm.

Gun violence in Latin America has a direct correlation with the ever-growing illegal arms trafficking and black market—evidenced by the rising number of confrontations between the highly weaponized criminal organizations and the law enforcement agencies that seek to eradicate them.

Latin America has developed many gun exchange or voluntary surrender initiatives with the assistance of government agencies, as well as civil and nonprofit organizations. Although the actual impact of these programs hasn’t been precisely measured, they have brought more visibility to the issue of the presence of firearms in the community.