Venezuela Death Squads

[Bacchus39]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxpdVV09vLU&NR=1&feature=fvwp

mostly in English but they don't subtitle the Spanish parts for some reason.

[Bacchus39]

1. Examining the Human Toll of Venezuela's Soaring Crime Rate

http://www.insightcrime.org/insight-latest-news/item/672-rawfeed-examining-the-human-toll-of-venezuelas-soaring-crime



As both Venezuela's government and the opposition battle over the significance of the country's rising murder rate, neither side seems to be focusing on the street-level factors of the violence. A report from the British daily the Guardian, however, sheds light on the gritty underworld of Venezuela's street gangs.

Violence and insecurity have plagued Venezuela for years, so much so that the government stopped publishing crime statistics in 2005 in an effort to stem criticism from the opposition. Despite the lack of official data, some civil society organizations in the country have presented their own alarming statistics about homicides. Last August, the independent Venezuelan Observatory of Violence (OVV) alleged that the number of murders in the country had nearly quadrupled during the course of President Hugo Chavez's eleven years in power, going from 4,550 in 1999 to 16,047 in 2009.

In early February, however, as reported by Spanish news agency EFE, the government announced that the murder rate for 2010 was 48 homicides for every 100,000 people. While lower than the Observatory's estimate of 57 per 100,000, the rate is still higher than that of both Mexico and Colombia, making Venezuela one of the most violent countries in Latin America and the world.

On top of the rise in homicides, Venezuela has now far overtaken Colombia, once known as the "kidnapping capital of the world," in the total number of reported kidnappings. According to a special report by Venezuela’s El Nacional, kidnapping has increased by 430 percent since 1999.

[joshcryer]

4. Killed over popcorn and shot over a bicycle. Wow.

I hope The Guardian can be trusted to give a balanced report. Not going to watch the original OP video (30 mins long, don't know the authors, etc). But The Guardian has a video report at the bottom of their article (which you indirectly linked).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/10/venezuela-caracas-gang-warfare-murder

What kind of culture have you created where popcorn is something worth killing someone for? Jesus.

[naaman fletcher]

2. This is similar to an African country where I sort of live part time

There was once total out of control crime in the capital city. The president, mayor, and chief of police decided to do something about it. They rounded up the criminals and killed them. they executed them and dumped the bodies.

Now, I walk around that city by myself all day long. 5 years ago I would not have been able to do that.

Of course, the country has mixed feelings about it. People understand it is "wrong", and of course once cops get that kind of power some go "bad" and start extorting people who now fear for thier lives, but, people also know the country is much safer than it used to be.

Anyway, my guess is that this will reduce crime.

I don't think that they are really describing the Bratton situation exactly. I lived in NY actually when he and Giluliani came in. I always took the strategy to be"its really only a small amount of people doing most of the crime" and "the same people urinating on the streets and jump subway turnstiles are the same people doing the robbing and killing"

Therefore, rather than ignore the petty crimes in favor of the large crimes, focus on the petty crimes because it's the same people.


It worked.

The difference between NY and Africa and VZ is that NY had the money and resources to do it without resorting to extra-judicial killings (although they did do a lot of racial profiling).

Anyway, I think we will see much reduced crime in VZ one year from now. That is not to say that I morally approve, am just observing.

[Bacchus39]

3. I believe this was actually made in 2002, therefore it did not work

the crime rate is actually substantially higher now. I imagine that the death squad murders are higher too. and given that even the Chavez official Assimi or whatever his name said police were responsible for 20% of all crime, I imagine this includes extrajudicial murders.

[naaman fletcher]

5. interesting..

didn't know it was old.. thanks