“The most unsafe city in the world”: homicide and crime in Bogota, 1988-1994

Abstract

The objective of this research consists of revealing the outlook of crime and homicide in a historical period of paramount importance for the capital of the Republic of Colombia (1988- 1994). The purpose is to give a real sense to her label of “the most unsafe city in the world” that responds to a title that circulated and expanded on the media as a result of the scourge of violent facts and episodes of violence affecting Bogota. The method: a qualitative analysis is essential in the face of the fragmentation of statistical data that are common to the historical context addressed. Information sources of varied nature were reviewed: the magazine Revista Criminalidad is a valuable one in both statistics and criminological analysis areas. Results: on the one side, there are at least three scenarios of violence that may explain the rising homicide rates in Bogota; likewise, on the other side among a growing number of crime agents, also rampant common crime is emerging as leading character played by a leading actor. Conclusions: This approach lays out the discussion  n the common delinquency phenomenon, a neuralgic aspect in cities having been poorly dealt with by scholars. The present environment and feeling of insecurity have merged the impacts of both the national political conflict and local confrontation.