South America had the largest deterioration of any region on the 2020 Global Peace Index (GPI).
Six South American countries recorded a deterioration in peacefulness, while five countries improved their score.
South America is now the fifth most peaceful region in the world, falling behind the neighbouring Central America and the Caribbean region for the first time since 2016.
No South American country is currently ranked higher than 35th on the index.
Venezuela is the least peaceful country in South America and is ranked amongst the 15 least peaceful countries in the world. It also had the largest fall in peacefulness in the region, with its overall score deteriorating by 7.5 per cent.
The country experienced another year of political and civil unrest, with security forces and riot troops blocking opposition lawmakers and journalists from entering the parliament in January 2020. Violence and resource scarcity has significantly increased the numbers of refugees and internally displaced people. Over ten per cent of Venezuelan population is estimated to be either refugees or internally displaced.
Chile also experienced a turbulent year, which led to it having the second largest deterioration in peacefulness in the region. An increase in the price of metro tickets led to a rise in civil unrest, with mass-protests against inequality erupting in Santiago in October 2019, before spreading around the country.