The Global Impunity Index highlights that Mexico was previously among the 10 countries with the highest impunity, but its decline has been due to the addition of more countries to the study and not to the decrease in incidence.
Mexico remains among the 15 countries with the highest impunity in the world, highlights the Global Impunity Index (IGI) 2024 report, prepared by the University of the Americas, Puebla (UDLAP).
The report shows that, out of a list of 94 countries, Mexico was ranked number 80, which places it in a situation of existing impunity similar to those recorded in Russia, Honduras, Uganda, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Haiti.
Although in the previous study (2020) Mexico was among the top 10 countries with the highest impunity, its drop in the ranking is because more countries entered the study and not precisely to an improvement in justice processes.
“In the IGI 2020 edition, Mexico was among the ten countries with the worst performance, 60th place out of 69 cases studied, and the change in position is the result of the incorporation of more countries into the sample, rather than an improvement in the performance of security, justice and human rights systems,” states its executive summary.
The results of the study prepared by UDLAP academics Juan Antonio Le Clercq and Azucena Cháidez warn that impunity in Mexico tends to be extremely high and that it affects the design and operation of the chain of justice, security, and human rights systems.
What does impunity produce?
The IGI 2024 considers that the high level of impunity in our country is the result of different political, institutional and social factors. However, the Report’s methodology highlights that the existence of reduced institutional capacities represents a central factor in explaining inefficient levels of performance in the security and justice systems, and the inability to protect human rights.
Outside Miguel’s home
Photo: Cuartoscuro Archive
“Without the existence of sufficient institutional capacities —such as, for example, budgetary resources, trained operators and effective public policy instruments— it is not possible to guarantee security conditions, access to justice and respect for human rights.”
It is noted with concern that our country does not have the institutional capacities required to limit the scope and destructive effects of this phenomenon.
“We observe with concern a growing trend towards statistical impunity, with a greater number of countries reporting inconsistent and outdated data on security, justice, and human rights, due to a lack of political will to generate updated statistical information. Without the existence of reliable statistical information, it is not possible to formulate better public policies based on evidence.”
Impunity in Mexico is more serious than the average
The academics explain that Mexico’s position among the countries with the highest levels of impunity is explained by two reasons: first, Mexico obtains a negative result (46.19) above the global average (31.64) and even above the average of the countries of America (36.89).
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Second, Mexico shows negative results in each dimension analyzed, above the global averages and also above the averages for the countries of America.
“The very high levels of impunity in Mexico are the result of poor performance in practically all variables, which refers us to a systemic problem.”
The Global Impunity Index is based on the concept of impunity developed in 2005 by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNHRC).
With information from Animal Politico
