Colombia's 2017 will end with the lowest homicide rate in four decades as the government tries to end the armed conflict with far-left rebels that has ravaged the Latin American country for more than half a century, according to data. published by the authorities.
In Colombia, the world's number one cocaine producer, "just over 11.000 homicides" were recorded in 2017, Defense Minister Luis Carlos Vigegas said on Tuesday.
"We recorded a rate of 23 (homicides) per 100.000 inhabitants this year," the defense minister added, referring to 320 fewer homicides than the previous year, and assuring that "this year will go down in history as the safest in four decades." .
The Colombian Institute of Forensic Medicine, which has not yet released its annual official report, had reported 11.532 homicides in 2016.
As of 2015, Colombia was ranked 3rd in Latin America among the countries with the highest homicide rate, after Venezuela (57,1) and Brazil (26,7), while the global average is 5,3, according to the World Bank.
At the same time, Bogota is holding talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN), the last rebel group to remain active in the country and has declared a reciprocal ceasefire with government forces until January 9, until further notice.
The Colombian Minister of Defense reminded that up to 25.000 homicides were recorded in the country during the last decade due to the civil war, while today the majority of murders and murders are attributed to quarrels.
"The main reason is that intransigence (…) causes deadly fights," he said, adding that the killings were no longer due to "armed conflict".
The capital of Colombia, Bogota, is the city in the country where the homicide rate fell the most, to 14,2.