In Brazil, the issue of insecurity that plagues our lives is known worldwide. We have some of the most dangerous cities in the world, so we know what it's like to live in fear and be on the alert. So much so that, when someone warns us about thefts in Europe, for example, we joke that we are Brazilians. I mean, we're hot...

Unfortunately, this is not a uniquely and exclusively Brazilian reality. Other countries are also in this situation of insecurity, but it is undeniable that it is an issue that is almost characteristic of Latin America.

To get an idea, among the 15 most dangerous cities in the world, according to ranking provided by Exame magazine, there are only two outside this continent: the United States, which is in North America, and South Africa. After all, they are all Latinos. To know more about it, then read our text!

If we asked you to guess any country that was on the list of the most dangerous cities in the world, most likely you would risk several names before the United States. After all, the North American country is known by all to be a world power and one of the most developed places in the world, if not the most.

However, not everything is what it seems and the United States has one of the 15 most dangerous cities in the world: saint louis. Considered the most violent in the country, with a very high homicide rate (in 2014, there were 50 murders for every 100,000 inhabitants), the city of St. Louis draws attention to this rather negative aspect. A pity, as the place is so beautiful and has a lot of tourist potential!

If you are a regular reader of our blog, you must have noticed that almost always there is a place in our country in the lists published here, as was the case of scariest airports around the planet. This time, it would not be different, but the fact is that it would be better if we were not part of this text. This is because the reason is not good for us at all!

Brazil has some of the most dangerous cities in the world. Yes, that's exactly what you read: some, starting with Feira de Santana, a municipality in the state of Bahia. Considered the 14th most violent city in the world, as pointed out by the NGO Citizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice of Mexico, Feira de Santana obtained this classification for having recorded 63.29 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. To give you an idea, there is an increase of more than 25% of murders compared to St. Louis.

Well, Cancun! Surely, you would never imagine that this Mexican destination so beloved by Brazilian tourists would be on the list of the most dangerous cities in the world, but it is. It is surprising to anyone, even more so because little is said about the subject.

With a homicide rate of 64.47, Cancun then enters the list of the most violent places in the world. Most of these murders were carried out by criminal organizations, in which battles between criminal groups resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by US citizens. In fact, incidents with shots that have injured or killed people often occur. That is, it's good to be smart when visiting Cancún!

Who has never heard of Pará food, right? This gastronomy, which is one of the most appreciated in Brazil and around the world, has placed Belém in the sights of tourists eager to experience such unique flavors. However, there is a dark side to the capital of Pará that only those who set foot in it can, in fact, dimension the size of the problem.

As soon as you arrive in Belém, the recommendations are: “don't walk”, “don't take anything with you” or “don't use your cell phone on the street”. The warnings are constant, but there is a justification: the capital is among the most dangerous cities in the world. Violence there has become everyday and its residents survive in the face of this chaos. Unfortunately, this is the reality of one of the most incredible places to visit in Brazil.

Of all the cities on the African continent, would you dare to say that Cape Town, one of the most popular destinations in South Africa thanks to Table Mountain, is considered the most unsafe of all? It's very likely not, but she's out there singing the unexpected places on this list.

Considered one of the best places to travel cheap around the world, Cape Town has this sad reality that, like Cancún, is not open to its tourists. However, even in the face of this scenario of insecurity, it is worth visiting this metropolis, as it offers great experiences. For example, eating in a very high quality restaurant over there would not break you, as would be the case for some around here.

In tenth place of the most dangerous cities in the world, we have the first in Venezuela: Ciudad Bolívar. Considered the birthplace of the country, this municipality is one of those that you want to stay away from just hearing about it, although it has many tourist attractions, such as its very well-preserved historic center.

Today, the capital of the state of Bolívar has a population of around 350,000 inhabitants, who live at the mercy of fear. This is because, in 2017, for example, the Ciudad Bolívar recorded a total of 209 homicides. In the following year, until the month of February, they already had 44 murders to count. That is, it is an entire population living in chaos and insecurity.

Already in ninth place, we have the capital of Ceará on the list of the most dangerous cities in the world. Fortaleza, which is a very popular tourist destination for both Brazilians and foreigners, has a very high homicide rate for world levels and, therefore, is here. It's scary, don't you agree?

Nowadays, neither the time nor the region matters anymore, as the feeling of fear dominates the population of Fortaleza, which sees an increase in cases of violence throughout the city. The insecurity is such that the city created urban refugees, that is, families who move from the place where they live in search of peace. Motivated by death threats, these people leave the place where they live, abandoning everything they had built.

One more Brazilian city for the account: Natal! This, which is considered the most violent city in Brazil in terms of homicides, is so problematic that a study concluded that 97% of the population of Greater Natal do not feel safe when leaving home. A pity, considering that the capital of Rio Grande do Norte could be a popular tourist spot due to its natural beauties.

Who carried out the study was the Association of Delegates of Civil Police of RN (Adepol/RN) and IN-Pacta, incubator of UFRN. Through the campaign “I Decide the Security of the RN”, which collected from the population the impression and the feeling that one has in the face of violence, these two associations proposed improvements for Public Security. We hope that the government listens to them and that it improves security in the Natal region, as the place deserves it.

Although Ciudad Bolívar is the capital of the state, the city of Guayana is the most populated in this region of Venezuela. With a population of approximately 1,100,000 inhabitants in its metropolitan area, it is a planned city, currently being considered the best planned in Venezuela and the second best planned in America.

However, not everything is rosy for the city of Guayana. In the sixth largest city in Venezuela, there is virtually nothing open after 8pm and there are few cars driving around at night. The reason: people retire early because of the violence that plagues the city. In this region, everyone fears white pickup trucks, generally used by members of an armed body in the government of Nicolás Maduro. There are many reports of arbitrary arrests, extortions and executions by these security forces.

Located in central Mexico is Irapuato, one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Internationally known for the production of plants and fruits, such as strawberry, which is an export quality product and widely distributed throughout the world, few people know about its bad reputation when it comes to the safety of the place.

With Irapuato, we made it to the top 5 of our list of the most dangerous cities in the world. And then, would you dare to say which other municipalities are to come? And will we find any Brazilian place among them? To check!

On the border of Mexico with the United States, there is the fifth most dangerous city in the world: Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua. It is one of the largest cities in the country, with about 2.6 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area, including the neighboring city of El Paso, in the state of Texas, United States.

Classified in 2009 as the most violent city in the world, surpassing even the city of Gaza in Palestine, many considered Juárez to be the “Mexican Gaza Strip”. However, since then, a lot has changed and, fortunately, the situation of insecurity is no longer the same today. Although it is still a dangerous place, Juárez has managed to reduce the number of homicides in recent years and, for this reason, it occupies fifth place on our list.

Located northwest of Mexico, 246 km from Monterrey8 and 319 km from the border with the United States, Ciudad Victoria is the capital of the state of Tamaulipas. It was founded as Villa de Santa María de Aguayo by José de Escandón in 1750, but is now named after the first president of Mexico, Guadalupe Victoria.

Curiosities aside, the fact is that the capital of the state of Tamaulipas is part of the list of the most dangerous cities in the world, ranking fourth. In 2010, for example, the region became internationally known after the massacre of 72 immigrants by suspected members of the drug trafficking group “Los Zetas“, in addition to the disappearance of two police officers. At the time, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the crime and asked Mexico to adopt urgent measures to investigate and bring justice, as well as to protect the immigrants.

In third place in our text is Caracas, the federal capital of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Seat of the powers that form the Venezuelan State, the city was once considered the most violent in the world two years ago, but today its situation is a little better compared to the next two places.

With a homicide rate of 99.90 per 100,000 inhabitants, the magnitude of crime in Caracas and especially in Venezuela as a whole is undeniable. The insecurity that grips the city is even noticeable, since, after seven o'clock at night, the streets turn into ghosts because people protect themselves in their homes, since the Venezuelan government is inefficient to protect the lives and safety of citizens.

If you've watched the series Keys, you may remember from the city of Acapulco, Mexico. This is because, in one of the best episodes of the series, the whole village spends their holidays there, creating several iconic and hilarious scenes. Well, it is no wonder that this Mexican destination has gained immense popularity on the Mexican tourist route.

However, what is not shown on television is the violent reality in which the resort lives. In acapulco, there is no traditional armed conflict, but the city is currently affected by the brutal dynamics of clashes between different organized crime groups dueling for control. Unfortunately, the violence brought devastating humanitarian consequences for the population, including murders, missing persons, kidnappings, extortion and forced recruitment of minors.

At the top of the ranking by the NGO Citizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice in Mexico, the Mexican city of Tijuana was considered the most violent in the four corners of the planet, with a rate of 138.26 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. With this, she led our list of the most dangerous cities in the world and, therefore, we ended our text.

Now that we've reached the end, here's the message: if you can avoid these cities, avoid them! There is no doubt that there are many tourist destinations among them, but, with the world as huge as ours, do you really need to risk visiting these places before the others? As the elders would say: “insurance died of old age!”.