Summary The UNDP says that income disparity has raised crimes in Latin America.
CHILE: Income disparity has helped fuel surging crime across Latin America, from robbery to homicide, a United Nations official said Saturday.
"The problem of citizens facing a lack of safety has increased in the entire region," Heraldo Munoz, regional chief of the United Nations Development Programme, told reporters.
Latin America continues to be one of the world s most violent regions, he added, noting that homicides were up 11 percent in the past decade while thefts have tripled in 25 years.
The UNDP points to skewed incomes, coupled with judicial systems that are unable to cope with the situation, as causes of the problem.
"Latin America has been growing (economically) in recent years. But that growth has been a bit more about quantity than quality," Munoz said. "That is, there is a lot of inequality. There is a lack of fairness and lack of jobs, especially for young people."
