Fire
Arms Attacks, Epidemic in Guatemala
GUATEMALA - The increase of fire arms
attacks is considered a pandemic in
Guatemala by government authorities.
In that country the murder average with fire
arms is of 48 per 100,000 inhabitant that is
why is considered an epidemic due to its
effects in public health.
According to recent reports Guatemala is the
Central American Nation with higher imports
of those kinds of weapons, in which 11.3
million dollars were invested in 2008 and in
the first nine months of the current year
reached $6.9 million.
The Central Bank pointed out that from
September 2002 to September of the current
year the spending increased to $59.9
millions.
Regarding the circulation of fire arms some
are legal and others illegal, the amount
varies according to the organism which gives
the information.
According to report of the UN Development
Program mentioned there are 235, 514 fire
arms legalized.
The illegal fire arms exceed the legalized
ones. According to National Civil Police the
number goes to one million and a half from
which two of three of them are used in
homicides.
That institution informed that in October
they confiscated 1,615 illegal fire arms.
In Guatemala there is the Commission on the
Prevention and Eradication of Gun Violence
which aims to work on the disarmament and to
create a culture of peace and peaceful
solutions to conflicts. |
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