Most dangerous country

Venezuela is South America’s most dangerous country, with a record 21,000 homicides in 2012. The Venezuelan Observatory on Violence, a non-governmental organisation, revealed in its annual report that a total of 21,692 fatalities were recorded last year as a result of violence; this is the equivalent of 73 deaths per 10,000 inhabitants. In 2011, 19,336 homicide cases were registered, which means 2012 saw a 12% increase in the number of deaths due to violence.