In less than two weeks, The United States reported two massacres in which the number of victims rose to 32 deaths; 22 at a Texas college, including 19 minors; and 10 in Buffalo, all African Americans at the hands of a young white supremacist.
(Read: Biden will meet with relatives of the victims in the Texas shooting)
The facts have once again called for dialogue on legality and free access to weapons in the countryeven counting on the call of President Joe Biden, who has repeatedly asked the Senate to do something in legislative matters.
(You are interested in: United States: the numbers for violence with firearms)
But it is not only these events that have alerted the country, because according to the Gun Violence Archive, 17,202 people have lost their lives due to firearms, of which 7,632 have been due to homicides, unintentional shooting or self-defense. Even so, with these alarming figures, the US Senate has not taken action in this regard.
Looking at the North American panorama, in Latin America there are some cases of legality regarding firearms. For now, the countries on this list have not taken action, despite high homicide rates.
Mexico
With one of the greatest escalations of violence in recent years, the country led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador has had the regulations in force since 1857, being the pioneer in this legislation.
According to the law then, “every man has the right to own and carry arms for his security and legitimate defense”, although this was modified in 1917, clarifying that the government would be in charge of granting the respective licenses for the legal carrying of arms, as well as the authorization for its use in certain cases and places.
In Mexico, the number of homicides amounts to 9,000 victims, translated into about 82 daily murders as reported by the Secretary of Security.
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection @rosaicela_ reported that ZACATECAS is no longer among the 5 most violent states in the country.
The same report indicates that violence in FRESNILLO has had a significant reduction, falling to fifth place in Mexico. pic.twitter.com/XCkDxtwSbt– Noti Power Zacatecas (@noti_poder) May 25, 2022
Guatemala
In Guatemala, the legal possession of weapons was regulated under Decree 15 of 2009, better known as the ‘General Law for the Control of Arms and Ammunition’.
For this regulation, the General Directorate of Arms Control is in charge of issuing permits and licenses to civilians, as well as in the manufacture, export, import and transport of firearms and their ammunition in the country.
According to the Guatemalan National Police, during 2021 there were nearly 2,800 homicides, just over 20 per 100,000 inhabitants, a significant increase compared to 2,569 the previous year. The maximum peak of the 21st century was recorded in 2010 with 6,505 murders.
Haiti and Puerto Rico
In Haiti, the Decree of May 23, 1989 allows civilians to legally carry weapons, as long as they are 18 years old and have the permission of the Haitian Armed Forces, which regulates firearms in the country.
For its part, in Puerto Rico the carrying of weapons is limited by the United States Constitution and may be limited by federal law or state law. Within the laws of Puerto Rico is title 25, subtitle 1, part V, chapter 51A, which indicates:
The right of citizens to own firearms The Second Amendment of the United States is reduced to a conditional privilege both by federal restrictions, as by the limits imposed by the statutory law of Puerto Rico.
In this sense, Puerto Rico requires a police license, a medical certificate and a criminal record, as well as the registration of the weapon owned.
In this country, 19.3 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants were registered during 2021, an increase of 2.8 points in reference to the previous year, based on the report of the Puerto Rico Police.
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