Venezuela's Security Forces: Protectors or Perpetrators?

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/venezuela-security-forces-protectors-or-perpetrators

A new report by Human Rights Watch that documents numerous alleged extrajudicial killings by members of the Venezuela police and military raises questions about whether the country's security institutions are having a positive or negative net impact on its troubled security situation.

The report (pdf) titled "Unchecked Power: Police and Military Raids in Low-Income and Immigrant Communities in Venezuela," examines abusive actions taken by security forces since the inception of Operation to Liberate and Protect the People (Operación de Liberación y Protección del Pueblo - OLP), a government anti-crime initiative launched in July 2015.

Some 245 people were killed during OLP raids occurring in the second half of 2015, the report says, with dozens more killed thus far in 2016. Authorities say many of the deaths occurred during violent confrontations between security forces and armed criminals, an assertion that Human Rights Watch questions.

"The sheer number of people killed by security forces during these operations raises concerns about whether and to what extent the use of lethal force by security forces has been justified," the report states.

[COLGATE4]

1. Dim Successor is getting more desperate (and

therefore more dangerous) as he sees a vote to recall him in his future. Look for more of this officially-sanctioned violence.

[Bacchus4.0]

2. The Supreme Court will certainly rule a recall vote unconstitutional

Looks like Venezuela will get 2 more years of miserable chavismo. I do wonder who chavistas will put up as their candidate.

[COLGATE4]

3. Yep. They packed the Court at the 11th hour.

[Bacchus4.0]

4. More on this from Human Rights Watch

https://www.hrw.org/node/288189/