Murders Surged In Mexico Hitting A New Record During The First Half Of 2019

Forensic workers bury unclaimed bodies in a mass grave at San Rafael cemetery in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, October 8, 2018. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

Business Insider/Reuters: Homicides surged in Mexico during the first half of 2019, and the country is on pace for another record

* Mexico notched a record number of homicides during the first half of 2019 and is on pace to top the total for 2018, which set an all-time record.
* Violence in the country has risen steadily in recent years, in part due to fight between organized-crime groups, and the continued insecurity has challenged the Lopez Obrador administration.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Homicides in Mexico jumped in the first half of the year to the highest on record, according to official data, underscoring the vast challenges President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador faces in reducing violence in the cartel-ravaged country.

There were 14,603 homicide cases opened from January to June, versus the 13,985 registered in the first six months of 2018, according to data posted over the weekend on the website of Mexico's national public security office. Authorities reported 448 femicide cases over the same period.

Homicide cases can contain more than one victim; Mexico compiles a separate tally of homicide victims, of which there were 17,138 during the first half of 2019, in addition to 470 femicide victims.

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Update:Murders in Mexico surge to record in first half of 2019  (Al Jazeera)

WNU Editor: Mexican President Obrador won last year's Presidential election on the promise of combating crime. He is still in his first year of his Presidency, but the results of his efforts do not look promising.