New report highlights Mexico's homicide rate

(Vatican Radio) Mexico's homicide rate, exceeds many nations at war.  A report just out show the drug cartels are killing at significantly increased rates in murderous power struggles.  

Listen to James Blears report:

Mexico suffered the second highest number of murders of any country globally last year.  It's almost 23,000 homicides, puts it in second place behind Syria, but ahead of Iraq and Afghanistan.  The report entitled: "Armed Conflict Survey," is by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. 

A power vacuum in the Sinaloa drug cartel, following the arrest and extradition  to the United States of its leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, has triggered a deadly supremacy struggle within its higher echelons.  While there's been a surge in the ultra violent Jalisco New Generation cartel.  This is coupled to the all too common impunity factor, meaning that most crimes go unpunished.  And this year, there's no sign of any let up in the cycle of  violence in Mexico's ongoing ten year Drug War.