During the first eight months of this year, 1,719 violent deaths – some of them in shootouts with police or military agents – were registered. In August alone there were 206 violent deaths. The Attorney General’s office reports that 90% of murder victims were men and 10% were women. Also, there were 45 victims of shootouts with police on duty in August – and a total of 345 throughout the year. Between January to August 2005, 561 people died in robberies, assaults, fights, drug-related events, shootouts, and other yet unsolved incidents. Of those, 81 were women, 11 dying in August alone. Last month the homicide rate reached 21.23 for every 100,000 inhabitants.