Mexico's president on Wednesday said reports of violence against women had not increased during a nationwide lockdown, appearing to contradict official data signalling an uptick in physical abuse, Reuters reports.

Domestic violence is rising across Latin America, with strict limits on movement to curb the spread of the new coronavirus leaving many women isolated at home with abusive partners, rights groups say.

Emergency calls reporting attacks on women in Mexico jumped 20 per cent in March compared to the previous month, government data showed.

But President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in a news conference that “there has been no increase in complaints.” “Yes there's machismo but there's also a lot of family fraternity,” the leftist leader told reporters.