Murder Rate Down 27%, Drug Confiscations Up 9% in Venezuela

[subsuelo]

Venezuela’s murder rate dropped 27% in the first half of 2008, relative to the same period of the previous year, said Venezuela’s Minister for the Interior and Justice, Ramón Rodriguez Chacín yesterday. Meanwhile, the amount of smuggled drugs that were confiscated in this same period rose by 9%, from 26.3 tons to 28.7 tons.

According to Minister Rodriguez Chacín, the reduction in the murder statistic is the result of new policing measures the government has adopted in the past six months. These measures included regular meetings that were held between ministry representatives, police officials, and community members.

“We have reorganized the work , we have increased effort, in accordance with the directives of President Chavez,” said Rodriguez Chacín during a press conference on Monday.

Venezuela Analysis - read more

[Judi Lynn]

1. This is interesting, isn't it? The Bush administration has tried and tried to accuse Chavez

of running a drug profiting administration since he threw out the D.E.A. agents.

It was Venezuela's impression _Bush had placed people in their ranks who were there for reasons beyond simply "assisting" Venezuela in its drug efforts, and there's every reason to imagine that belief was well founded.

From the article:

Reverol also explained that “Operation Hole,” which was launched to destroy clandestine drug trafficking airstrips, succeeded in destroying 157 in the state of Apure, 13 in Falcón state, and 17 in Anzoátegui and Monagas.

So Chavez is GETTING RID of these airstrips.

In information I've seen, Álvaro Uribe was useful to Pablo Escobar when he worked in an aeronotic-connected job for a while, then, as a Senator, found ways to get laws written allowing people (Pablo Escobar) to build their own private air strips out in the boonies. This was said to have made Pablo Escobar beside himself with joy, as it allowed him the opportunity to get his planes in and out with no oversight, like having a "Get out of jail free" card.

So Venezuela is shutting them down. Cool!

Sounds like they're getting a handle on the violence, too, a formidable job.