MEXICO – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that Mexico City is “the most dangerous city in Latin America,” countering that Washington, DC, actually has a higher homicide rate. Speaking at her news conference at the National Palace, Sheinbaum stressed that while Mexico City faces security challenges, it is far from the worst in the region when measured per capita.
Trump had recently ranked Mexico City among “the worst places on earth” as part of his justification for deploying military troops to Washington. Sheinbaum, who was mayor of Mexico City from 2018 to 2023, presented official data showing that in 2024, Washington recorded 187 murders while Mexico City had 978. However, she explained that population size changes the perspective: Mexico City’s 9 million residents put its homicide rate at 10 per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to Washington’s rate of 27 per 100,000.
“These figures show that Washington is, statistically, more dangerous than Mexico City,” Sheinbaum said. She emphasized that the comparison must be based on crime rates rather than raw numbers, arguing that Trump’s remarks misrepresent the reality of public safety in Mexico’s capital.
