Violence remains a serious problem in Jamaica! Check our exclusive report on the country's social situation!

Violence in Jamaica continues to be a very serious problem for people's safety. Both tourists and locals are concerned about the fact that it triggers so many other problems and could cause the country to lose its tourist attraction, which is currently one of the main sources of income in the region. This week the largest weapons seizure in recent years was made, which serves to give us an idea of ​​the seriousness of the problem. Nothing less than war rifles, machine guns and missile launchers were found among food that came from the United States. Surprise operations like this in the port of Kingston - Capital of the Island have brought some results, but given the seriousness of the problem, more efforts will certainly have to be made by the authorities. Just as has happened in some Brazilian cities, violence, drug trafficking and corruption have worsened, and while police stations are blown up and people are murdered, politicians in Jamaica are discussing how to increase their salaries.(just like in Brazil). The cause of the problem can be easily diagnosed in this case. Due to the extremely high social inequality that exists, thousands of people on the verge of poverty are "seduced" by organized crime, which today has a real army, whose soldiers kill and cause disorder, haunting the population. The main focus of the problem is in areas such as Spanish Town, Kingston (Capital), Trenchtown and St. Andrew. The country, which is one of the 5 most violent in the world, has recorded drops in murder rates, thanks to important initiatives taken by the then Minister of Security. Speaking of statistics, today a little less than 1000 people are murdered per year on the Island, among them the number of children and teenagers is alarmingly large. In the last week alone, 3 children were murdered for unknown reasons, and police investigations continue to be carried out in an attempt to punish those responsible. In Brazil, the Campaign against Disarmament, despite some problems, has been highly praised by the population and without a doubt it could be a good idea for Jamaica to try to reduce the number of weapons, whether legal or illegal and consequently the numbers that remain frightening when it comes to violence in the country. In this situation we must hope that the situation in the country improves. Any type of help will be very well accepted by the population, which in addition to this social problem, also suffers from catastrophes caused by "revolts" of nature, such as Hurricane Ivan ravaging the Island, which is still undergoing reconstruction.

Murders in Jamaica from 1998 to 2003:

2003: 971 2002: 1045 2000: 887 1999: 849 1998: 953 Real data from the newspaperJamaica Observer