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Mexican president says homicides drop sharply in Ciudad Juarez

By the CNN Wire Staff
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Homicides are down about 60 percent in past year, Calderon says
  • One month there were 416; last month there were 166
  • "We will persevere," he vows

Mexico City (CNN) -- Homicides in Ciudad Juarez have dropped about 60 percent over the past year, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Friday during a visit to that border city.

"You remember days in which we saw as many as 30 homicides," he said. "Eleven on average. Now, it has reduced to four or five homicides per day, on average."

In one particularly bloody month, there were a total of 416 homicides, he said, adding that April's total was 166. "That's still a lot, but that's a reduction of more or less 60 percent," he said.

"We will persevere until we reinstate a peaceful city of people who work and fight to prosper," he added.

Nationwide, the Mexican government says there have been about 35,000 drug-related deaths since Calderon began a crackdown on the county's cartels in December 2006.