Mexico’s drug-related deaths ‘continuing to rise’
Drug-related violence in Mexico is constantly increasing, according to new government statistics released on Tuesday (January 10th).
The figures have shown that since president Felipe Calderon came into power promising to tackle the war on drugs, the total for killings has reached close to 50,000.
Furthermore, the data released by the attorney general's office have revealed that from January to September 2011, 12,903 people were killed in drug-related violence – an 11 per cent rise from the same period in 2010.
Reports have suggested that pressures began to mount on the Calderon authorities in 2011 when the public requested to gain access to the number of crime-related deaths in the country.
Despite initial claims that the data was confidential, the government released the figures.
Recent information from the US Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement showed that the number of youngsters recruited by Mexican drug cartels is on the rise, the Latin American Herald Tribune reports.
