Venezuela: a land of political killings and gang turf wars

[Zorro]

Even by the violent standards of Venezuela, the murder of Robert Serra, a young socialist firebrand, was particularly gruesome.

The rising star of the ruling party was tied up, gagged and then brutally stabbed more than 30 times in his Caracas home, his bloodied corpse left next to that of a female companion.

His murder was followed last week by the killing of several leaders of the Shield of the Revolution colectivo – a pro-government Chavista militia – in a shoot-out with a police special forces unit.

With the world’s second highest murder rate, Venezuela is no stranger to such slaughter. But while Nicolas Maduro, the successor to the late Hugo Chavez, has blamed the violence on yet more US-backed plots against the country, the truth may be anything but. Far from being the work of the “gringo empire”, as he likes to call the US, or its stooges in the Venezuelan opposition, it seems that the Chavista regime is beginning to turn on itself. And at the heart of the factional infighting is the colectivos - set up to act as Mr Chavez’s “peoples’ armies”, but now accused of turning to organised crime as the country’s economic crisis bites ever harder.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/11156035/Venezuela-a-land-of-political-killings-and-gang-turf-wars.html

[Marksman_91]

1. But don't you know? All of the problems in Venezuela are caused by the EVIL USA empire

They've obviously got thousands of CIA operatives infiltrating within the Venezuelan population attempting to sabotage everything the glorious bolivarian revolution stands for.

[Flatulo]

2. With the Venezuelan brain drain in full swing,

(about 7% of the population, most with bachelors degrees, have already fled), and diminishing numbers of people to loot, the remaining poor, totally dependent on the state for survival, are turning on each other like rats.

What a suprise!

I wish all Venezuelan expatriates great success in their new lives in the United States and Europe.

[Marksman_91]

3. I'm among those expatriates currently in the US

It's really sad that I, my brother, and my family, along with countless others, are moving away simply because the Chavista regime has basically robbed our youth from its future and has simply let crime take over the streets. I hope one day when Chavismo loses control that all those who got their education and preparation outside of Venezuela can one day return and are given the chance to use their knowledge and experience to their fullest to rebuild the country to its former glory. Back in the 60s and 70s, Venezuela was practically the envy of Latin America. Now it's not even a shadow of its former self

[Flatulo]

4. Sympathies to you, friend, for the loss of your country.

It may take generations and much bloodshed to get it back. History shows this to be true.

The Venezuelans are a beautiful, blessed people. They deserve better than this criminal regime.