Might have actually been an accident.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately be explained by stupidity... or incompetence.
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Chavez got lucky post-9/11 with the War on Terrorism, the retired covert action / dirty tricks / Iran-Contra types were in demand elsewhere. Heck, I even read in the NYT last month that Dewey Clarridge is still running around, said he was throwing dirt on the Karzai’s.
A short article by an ICG expert:http://www.opendemocracy.net/silke-p...e-and-politics
I have read about the scale of violence and the police being brutal, but the details are new to me and alarming. So taking one paragraph:This insight speaks volumes:Quote:
The former interior and justice minister Jesse Chacón recently claimed the government had inherited the problem from former administrations. Fair enough: when Hugo Chávez took over the presidency in 1999, homicide rates had already tripled over the previous decade. But what Chacón did not mention is that they almost quadrupled in the following twelve years, from 4,550 in 1998 to 17,600 in 2010.
Quote:
The daily killings in Venezuelan cities so far do not seem to have significantly affected President Chávez’s popularity.
Extraordinary!Quote:
The daily killings in Venezuelan cities so far do not seem to have significantly affected President Chávez’s popularity.
What could be the reason?
Quote:
CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday that his navy detected a submarine in Venezuelan waters and that it quickly sped off.
The submarine was detected on Tuesday near the Venezuelan island of La Orchila in the Caribbean north of Caracas, where Venezuelan troops are participating in training drills near the island, Chavez told state television by telephone.
"It was pursued. It escaped because it's much faster than ours," Chavez said, referring to Venezuela's diesel-powered submarines. He said that judging by its speed and size, "it's a nuclear-powered submarine."
Chavez said his government was unable to say what nation might have sent the sub. "We can't accuse anyone," Chavez said, adding that his government is investigating.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/1...#ixzz1dNRWyJ6s
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/venezuela-p...225507615.htmlQuote:
Venezuela is training a "guerrilla army" aiming to be a million strong by 2013 to fight off a possible US invasion, an opposition lawmaker said Sunday.
"Plan Sucre" -- apparently crafted with input from close ally and fellow US foe Cuba -- covers the legal, logistical and other angles necessary to "transform a professional army into a guerrilla army," Representative Maria Corina Machado told El Universal newspaper.
This thread was locked in August 2012, since than President Chavez has died from natural causes and there is not another thread on Venezuela, so I have changed the title and unlocked it.
US interest in the country remains, although possibly not with the passion of yesteryear.
A long article from Open Democracy on Venezuela's internal policing issues, which starts with:It ends with:Quote:
Faced with soaring levels of crime and violence, Venezuela's government continues to militarize the police. The public disproves of the crime, but not the response. Why?
Link:http://www.opendemocracy.net/opensec...zuelas-streetsQuote:
..unless there is a drastic change in the current government, which has a strong military faction and is plagued by rampant corruption, the military policing model is likely to stay.
I am a little surprised that SWC has not posted on this nearby neighbour for sometime, perhaps it is too painful?
The Daily Telegraph has a long article on the current situation, as indicated by the sub-title:These two passages provide the context:Quote:
Death in the streets, rationing by fingerprints and a general on the run: how oil-rich Venezuela has descended into chaos
Then I found this, which was a surprise, although given Venezuela's political path of late predictable, with my emphasis:Quote:
The country is mired in a dangerous cycle of economic crisis and violent chaos, polarised between government loyalists in areas heavily dependent on state support and protestors who have taken to the streets over soaring crime rates, surging inflation and shortages of basic goods.
With the world’s largest known oil reserves, Venezuela should be reaping windfall gains. Yet in another sign of its parlous economics, the government has just announced a new rationing system using fingerprint registration to track purchases of subsidised but scarce foodstuffs milk, flour and rice.
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...n-the-run.htmlQuote:
The rancour over “Cubanisation” of Venezuela is a growing theme of the protests. Indeed, what drove Gen Rivero’s rift with his former comrade-in-arms of Hugo Chavez, the late socialist autocrat who even in death still dominates life here, was the import of Cuban officers into the highest echelons of the the military and security services.
It is as you say predictable: I've often said the only really wise policy decision Chavez even made was to die before his chickens came home to roost. How it plays out, and where it leads, is anything but predictable. The Cuban influx suggests that Maduro has every intention of fighting it out. Would be interesting to see some material from other sources on the Cuban issue...
Indeed the man who largely created this mess died before the economy went from a disaster to an utter catastrophe:
Venezuela Doesn't Have Enough Money to Pay for Its Money
It is certainly an excellent case in point that elections do matter sometimes a very great deal and an economy in tatters can still fall to formerly unthinkable lows.Quote:
In a tale that highlights the chaos of unbridled inflation, Venezuela is scrambling to print new bills fast enough to keep up with the torrid pace of price increases. Most of the cash, like nearly everything else in the oil-exporting country, is imported. And with hard currency reserves sinking to critically low levels, the central bank is doling out payments so slowly to foreign providers that they are foregoing further business.
Venezuela, in other words, is now so broke that it may not have enough money to pay for its money.
Ultra-violent gangs thrive in chaotic Venezuela despite crackdown
Quote:
The operations also encourage gang leaders to unite and seek more powerful weapons, said Keymer Avila, part of a group of Venezuelan and foreign academics researching crime in the country.
At his safe house, Anderson confirmed that.
"It's better to work together than be enemies. It's better to make war with the police than with each other."
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ve...-idUSKCN1162AJQuote:
The click-clack of guns being cocked echoes in the cement safe house where seven kidnappers keep watch over a western Caracas slum, their 33-year-old gang leader boasting of grenade attacks on police and growing wealth and power.
Venezuela's socialist economy is suffering triple-digit inflation, severe shortages and a third year of recession, but gangs like this have found strength and profit in the chaos.
They are teaming up with former rivals and buying heavier weapons to control ever-larger territory in the capital and beyond, the criminals, the government and criminologists say.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/...itias-46850100Quote:
Embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced plans Monday to expand the number of civilians involved in armed militias as tensions in the crisis-wracked South American nation continued to rise.
Maduro said he hopes to expand the number of civilians involved in the Bolivarian militias created by the late Hugo Chavez to 500,000, up from the current 100,000, and provide each member with a gun.
Speaking to thousands of militia members dressed in beige uniforms gathered in front of the presidential palace to mark the force's seventh anniversary, Maduro said it is time for Venezuelans to decide if they are "with the homeland" or against it.
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?Arti...tegoryId=10717Quote:
CARACAS -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that he was increasing the nation's militia paramilitary force to half-a-million and instructed members to seize power in the oil-rich nation in case he is unseated.
"If the right wing attempts a coup d'etat, go out and seize power," the embattled President said Monday. "I have approved the plan for Defense Minister Padrino Lopez to expand our militia to 500,000 men and equip each of them, including a rifle."
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/genera...--finance.htmlQuote:
CARACAS (Reuters) - General Motors said on Wednesday that Venezuelan authorities had illegally seized its plant in the industrial hub of Valencia and vowed to "take all legal actions" to defend its rights.
The seizure comes amid a deepening economic crisis in leftist-led Venezuela that has already roiled many U.S. companies.
"Yesterday, GMV's (General Motors Venezolana) plant was unexpectedly taken by the public authorities, preventing normal operations. In addition, other assets of the company, such as vehicles, have been illegally taken from its facilities," the company said in a statement.
It said the seizure would cause irreparable damage to the company, its 2,678 workers, its 79 dealers and to its suppliers.
A concise explanation how Venezuela ended up as it does today, via the UK academic website 'The Conversation':https://theconversation.com/how-vene...o-chaos-75685?
Puputov: Generally made in glass containers containing feces and urine inside and sealed with lid and tape.
I really don't think this requires a translation to English, now does it?
La razn por la que #Puputov se posicion como primera etiqueta en Twitter
Los ciudadanos lanzaron heces fecales en contra de los uniformados para defenderse de la represin policial y militar
http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/...twitter_181248
https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/...x/63187924.jpg
#Venezuela is on the brink of #CivilWar. Riots leave 37 dead, 700 wounded, 1800 imprisoned...
https://twitter.com/NIRPUmbrella/sta...98223770599425
COULD VENEZUELA BE THE NEXT SYRIA?
Max Brooks | July 25, 2017
https://mwi.usma.edu/venezuela-next-syria/
http://news.trust.org/item/20170806130145-6xfonQuote:
VALENCIA/CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities suppressed a small rebellion at a military base near the city of Valencia on Sunday, arresting seven men who they say participated in a "terrorist attack" against the government of unpopular leftist President Nicolas Maduro.
Earlier on Sunday a video circulated on social media showing a group of men in military uniform announcing an uprising in the wake of the creation of a pro-government legislative superbody on Friday, which was widely condemned as a power grab.
Hundreds took to the streets in Valencia to support the uprising, said resident Carolina Herrera, who like other witnesses reported shots through the night.
But hooded protesters had been largely dispelled with tear gas by midday on Sunday, and the rest of the South American country of 30 million appeared to be calm.
Ah, the joys of a disarmed society.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/terrorist...132429761.htmlQuote:
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's military was on Monday hunting an ex-officer and a lieutenant who led uniformed rebels on a weekend raid to grab weapons from an army base, fueling fears the country's worsening crisis could tip into armed conflict.
The defense minister and head of the armed forces, General Vladimir Padrino, said the ex-National Guard captain, Juan Carlos Caguaripano, and the lieutenant, Jefferson Gabriel Garcia, were behind Sunday's attack on the base in the northwestern city of Valencia by 20 men in uniform.
They are "enemies of the nation," Padrino said.
Admiral Stavridis was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and is Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
It's Time to Plan for Civil War In Venezuela
James Stavridis
Sep 07, 2017
http://time.com/4931053/its-time-to-...-in-venezuela/Quote:
An enormous crisis is brewing just a few hundred miles south of Miami: Venezuela, a nation of more than 30 million people, with the largest oil reserves in the world, is on the brink of collapse and civil war. The implications for the Americas are profound and dangerous. What should the U.S. be doing while Caracas sinks into anarchy?
While Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain technology that underpins it all is on a speculative roller coaster ride.......Bitcoin mining is playing a role in survival within Venezuela:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...ezuela/534177/
I suspect cryptocurrencies and the underlying blockchain will be playing an increasingly important role from current obscurity to future center stage potentially used by all sides as a means of exchange, store of value, theft for revenue, as well as the otherwise of the proverbial coin for stability ops.
Right now it seems to a means of survival for some digitally savvy folks trying to survive and the police hunting them to confiscate their bit mining systems for the same reasons.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-v...-idUSKBN1EE06QQuote:
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan leftist President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday that “terrorists” had broken into a National Guard unit over the weekend and stolen weapons, the latest sign of volatility in the oil-rich country convulsed by a profound economic crisis.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-v...-idUSKBN1ER03QQuote:
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities arrested a National Guard soldier over the weekend and accused him of shooting a pregnant 18 year-old during an incident that local media described as a melee over scarce pork. Alexandra Colopoy was gunned down by First Sergeant David Rebolledo, according to a tweet by the state prosecutor late Sunday night. No further details were provided, but critics of President Nicolas Maduro’s leftist government seized on the incident, calling it a stark example of the oil-rich country’s meltdown.
Quote:
Venezuelan gangs are no longer recruiting youths in some poor areas by offering them easy money to buy clothes or the latest cell phones. Instead, they are offering food baskets.
And on the streets, walking around with a bag of groceries can attract more thieves than a full wallet.
The critical food shortages pummeling Venezuela have started to change the nature of crime in the country, at times increasing what some experts have started to call “hunger crimes” and at other times turning food into a valuable item to be taken by force.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nati...193044269.htmlQuote:
Even though it has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela is suffering one of the most severe economic crises of its modern history as a result of the policies imposed by the socialist regimes of Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro.
The crisis has forced millions of Venezuelans to eat just once a day, and thousands of others to regularly search garbage cans in hopes of finding something to eat, according to recent surveys.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/c5767b4...mobbed-as.htmlQuote:
Mobs gathered outside some Caracas supermarkets on Saturday after the government ordered shops to slash prices, creating chaos as desperate Venezuelans leapt at the chance to buy cheaper food as the country's worsening economy causes severe shortages. The leftist administration of President Nicolas Maduro ordered more than 200 supermarkets to cut prices back to last month's levels - a tall order in a country where many prices change daily due to the world's fastest inflation rate. When one major supermarket in wealthier eastern Caracas did not open for hours, people began pounding on the storefront. "This scares me, but what can I do?" said Francisco Guaita, a carpenter hoping to find food for his three children, over the shouts and pushes.
I think I've seen this movie before
Indeed the fall seems never-ending. The resources of the state and the nation are almost exhausted. We seem to have now a situation approaching slowly the one of a huge prison camp where loyalty and support to the regime running it becomes increasingly key to just survive. You howl with the wolves and suffer or you risk the life of you and your relatives.
How long can this go on? As written before for now the grip on power and people by the dictator and his inner circle has been reinforced by the ability to determine largely who gets ever more sparse food. It has created a vicious spiral downwards and rightly those in command have to fear what happens when power changes hands...
Still someday Chavism will end but as Mugabe has shown us the downfall can last decades.
-----
This deep tragedy and reminds one of the importance of the respect for law and science, fair and free elections by educated and thinking citizens. A stronger safety net might have been decisive to avoid the election of Chavez but the elite opposed it. Even little things would have mattered as it was fairly close. I wonder what our Italian elections will bring, so many seem to want change at all cost and the polls are a nightmare with the bad populists of all sorts clearly leading.
https://news.trust.org/item/20180112035017-q9adfQuote:
SAN CRISTOBAL/BARINAS, Venezuela, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Hungry mobs ransacked a food collection center, and a supermarket in Venezuela's western Andean state of Merida on Thursday and reportedly even slaughtered cattle grazing in a field as unrest over food shortages spread through the country.
An opposition lawmaker from Merida, Carlos Paparoni, said four people had died and 10 were injured in the chaos over the last two days, but he did not specify the circumstances.
Quote:
Sporadic looting, food riots and protests driven by the hungry poor have surged in Venezuela, a country that’s no stranger to unrest. But the uprisings playing out recently have a different face than the mostly middle-class protesters who took to the streets for months last year in political demonstrations trying to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
Quote:
Venezuela holds the world’s largest oil reserves and was once among Latin America’s wealthiest nations. But after nearly two decades of socialist rule and mismanagement of the state-run oil company, it is being battered by the worst economic crisis in its history.
https://apnews.com/e6af78e0506748d49...nomic-tailspinQuote:
Financial sanctions imposed in August by the Trump administration are only adding to Venezuelans’ misery, choking off the country’s access to credit and scaring away oil companies.
Meanwhile, hunger is widespread.
Recently a dozen men stormed a street-side deli in the western city of Barquisimeto. Surveillance cameras captured them leaping over the glass counter as customers and employees scrambled out of the way. They wiped the store clean in minutes.
Cattle ranchers say at least two farms have been raided by people who slaughtered cows. A video on Twitter shows a dozen men in the state of Merida killing a cow with rocks and a machete, one shouting: “We are hungry.”
In the first half of January, there were at least 110 incidents of looting, more than five times than in the same period a year earlier, says the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, a non-governmental group that tracks unrest.
Food and the cash to pay for it are more difficult to find, especially outside the capital of Caracas. And even when people have money, prices are often beyond their reach, with the inflation rate soaring above 2,600 percent in 2017, the opposition- controlled National Assembly says.
Looks like those sanctions might give the Venezuelan people the best shot they've had in decades.Quote:
Financial sanctions imposed in August by the Trump administration are only adding to Venezuelans’ misery, choking off the country’s access to credit and scaring away oil companies.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nati...#storylink=cpyQuote:
The government of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro, hated by much of the country's population and sanctioned by a growing number of countries, is facing problems keeping the police and military happy as food shortages and hyperinflation start to hit their barracks.
Recent meetings and internal documents of the Venezuelan armed forces point to concern in the Maduro regime as troops grow more demoralized and commanders report an increase in the number of insubordination cases and desertions.
In addition to the signs of unrest among the Army and National Guard units, the government also faces a tense relationship with the investigative police agency known by its initials in Spanish, CICPC, after the recent public execution of rebel policeman Oscar Perez, who was killed by security forces in an assault broadcast live through social media.
Better copy of video mentioned above -
Venezuela Attack: Pilot Oscar Prez Last Moments
https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=509_1516058992
Quote:
GUASIPATI, Venezuela (Reuters) - Soldiers clashed with illegal miners in southern Venezuela on the weekend, killing 18 people in a region notorious for violence and gang rivalries, a lawmaker and local media said.
Bolivar state Governor Justo Noguera said a military unit had fought off an attack, but gave no more details. “An investigation is under way,” he told reporters.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ve...FV0XT?rpc=401&Quote:
Echoing that number, a local opposition lawmaker, Americo De Grazia, said relatives had described the victims as having bullets in the head. “Massacres are the narco-dictatorship’s state policy,” he said, accusing the security forces.
The government did not respond to requests for comment.
Quote:
BOGOTA, Colombia Venezuela on Monday accused neighboring Colombia of planning a bombing campaign or a “military invasion” amid heightened tensions in the region and a mass exodus fueled by Venezuela’s collapsing economy.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nati...#storylink=cpyQuote:
Saab didn’t provide proof of his allegations, but other regional allies pointed to the weekend visit to Colombia by Admiral Kurt Tidd, head of U.S. Southern Command.
This reads like some Draconian Gilbert & Sullivan production.
Quote:
Military officers* are joining the exodus of Venezuelans to Colombia and Brazil, fleeing barracks and forcing President Nicolas Maduro’s government to call upon retirees and militia to fill the void.
High desertion rates at bases in Caracas and the countryside are complicating security plans for the presidential election in 13 days, which by law require military custody of electoral materials and machinery at voting centers.
Quote:
Last week, officers who rank as high as general were called in and quartered for several days at their units. Retired officials and militia members were also contacted by their superiors, according to one retired officer who asked not to be named for fear of angering the regime. Government officials are training these fill-in personnel for the election, said a second retired officer.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ith-vote-aheadQuote:
High-ranking members of the military are barred from much contact with the lower ranks . Lines of young military men asking for retirement are long, said the first retired officer. The officer tried to chat with one, but officers running the barracks forbade them from talking to each other. The retiree said top officers fear too much conversation will permit officers and enlisted solders to form alliances for a coup.
* Given the lack of comprehension sometimes exhibited by the American media, it's unclear whether Bloomberg is refering to the lower Enlisted, NCOs, field or staff grade officers - or all of the above.
This is what you get with a Socialist Dictator.
Quote:
Venezuelan security forces have carried out hundreds of arbitrary killings under the guise of fighting crime, the UN's human rights body says.
In a report, it cites "shocking" accounts of young men being killed during operations, often in poor districts, over the past three years.
The UN's human rights chief said no-one was being held to account, suggesting the rule of law was "virtually absent".
Venezuela has in the past dismissed human rights allegations as "lies".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin...575599?SThisFBQuote:
The UN Human Rights Office alleges that extra-judicial killings were carried out by officers involved with the Operations for the Liberation of the People, ostensibly a crime-reduction initiative. These officers may have killed more than 500 people since July 2015 as a way to showcase crime-reduction results, it says. They are alleged to have faked evidence to make it look as though the victims died in exchanges of fire.
Sidebar comedy: so much for this Kennedy effort.
The Joe-4-Oil Heat Program is not currently accepting applications for assistance. Please check back here for updates.
http://citizensenergy.com/assistance-programs/joe-4-oil
The Wonkblog discusses the inflation in Zim, eh Venezuela:
It seems to my personal theme here in this thread. Over the year you saw things getting worse and worse, and marveled how things can get on like that but one always had to keep in mind that there human tragedy can plunge into deeper cliffs still. Or as the WP puts it:Quote:
Indeed, in the span of a few months, the International Monetary Fund has gone from forecasting that Venezuela’s inflation rate would hit 12,875 percent by the end of the year to now saying that it will get to 1 million percent. Now, this isn’t the type of prediction you should take literally — the IMF says it’s more a “signal that the situation in Venezuela is similar to that in Germany in 1923 or Zimbabwe in the late 2000s.” Instead, as we said, it’s a reminder that even a failed state such as Venezuela can still fail some more. Which it almost certainly will.
FirnQuote:
If history has taught us anything, it’s that things can always get worse, even when that seems impossible — as it does right now in Venezuela.
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/08/63658...nation-attemptQuote:
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused opposition lawmakers of playing a role in a failed attempt to assassinate him over the weekend.
During a nationally televised address to Venezuelan troops on Saturday, Maduro was unhurt when explosives-laden drones exploded near the podium.
In a speech on Tuesday, Maduro said Julio Borges, a prominent opposition leader living in exile in neighboring Colombia, was a co-conspirator in the plot, but he did not elaborate on what role the politician had played.
https://www.ozy.com/need-to-know/spe...enezuela/88541Quote:
WHAT TO KNOW
What happened? Two blasts in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday interrupted an open-air speech by President Nicolas Maduro — detonations that authorities blamed on twin drones loaded with explosives. Witnesses said they heard a loud bang and saw one drone fall from the sky and hit a nearby building. Maduro later called the attack, which occurred at a military parade in celebration of the country’s national guard, an assassination attempt. He was not hurt during the explosion, but seven soldiers were injured.
Why it does it matter? Maduro, who’s been in power since 2013, accused political foes in neighboring Colombia and the U.S. of trying to kill him. Appearing on state television, Venezuela’s defense minister described the attack as an attempt to wipe out the country’s leadership. Representatives of the Colombian and American governments denied any involvement, and critics of Maduro warned the socialist strongman might use the incident as a pretext to crack down on his political adversaries. The attack also draws attention to Venezuela’s escalating political and economic turmoil, which has led to widespread food and medicine shortages.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT
Who was it? Maduro appeared on television hours after the bombing to blame right-wing conspirators in Colombia, including his foe, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, as well as financiers from Florida. Venezuela has often blamed Colombia for its political turmoil, and there are a large number of Venezuelan immigrants living in Florida. Authorities have thus far arrested six so-called “terrorists and hired killers” linked to the attack following raids in Caracas. A group called “Soldiers in T-shirts,” which describes itself on Twitter as “loyal to the people of Venezuela,” claimed responsibility for the attack but provided no proof of involvement.
It’s just the beginning. Drone strikes, such as those on suspected terrorist leaders, are nothing new. Even the Islamic State has used these devices on targets for years. But there appear to have been few, if any, prior attempts by non-state actors on such a high-level political leader. And it’s probably not the last: As technology improves and becomes more accessible, experts believe these types of attack may well become the preferred weapon of insurgents, terrorists and revolutionaries.
https://abcnews.go.com/International...-kill-57039101Quote:
The assailants flew two drones each packed with 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of C-4 plastic explosive toward Maduro, his wife and other top leaders as he spoke Saturday evening at an event celebrating the 81st anniversary of the National Guard, said Interior Minister Nestor Reverol. One of the drones was to explode above the president while the other was to detonate directly in front of him, he added.
But the military managed to knock one of the drones off-course electronically and the other crashed into apartment building two blocks away from where Maduro was speaking to the hundreds of troops, Reverol said.
https://www.dw.com/en/venezuela-crea...ols/a-45777514Quote:
Venezuela's government created a new migration police force on Friday to increase controls at the country's borders amid a mass exodus sparked by an ongoing political and economic crisis. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced the move on state TV, saying that the migration police will "immediately" take control of Venezuela's 72 entry and exit points. She said that the police force will reinforce "the existing controls" that are currently being carried out by National Guard soldiers who oversee border security.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/757220...ction-caracas/Quote:
More than 14,000 people were killed in the country last year and Caracas has the highest murder rate per capita in the world.
It is in the middle of all this mindless bloodshed that the bizarre cult of the "Holy Thugs" was born - and it's growing by the day.
Locals are now so desperate for protection they worship the spirits of these dead gangsters in return for protection and luck. The cap-wearing statues have handguns tucked in their brightly-coloured trousers and cigarettes hanging from their mouths.
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2...-latin-americaQuote:
In 1998, as the setting for his election celebrations, Chávez chose the balcony of the Teresa Carreño, a spectacular, brutalist style cultural centre. Built during the 1970s oil boom and reminiscent of London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, it has hosted stars such as Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Ray Charles and Luciano Pavarotti, and epitomised the country’s new ambition. “Venezuela is reborn,” Chávez declared.
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Twenty years after that upbeat address, an economic cataclysm experts blame on ill-conceived socialist policies, staggering corruption and the post-2014 slump in oil prices has given Caracas the air of a sinking ship.
Public services are collapsing, businesses closing and residents evacuating on buses or one of a dwindling number of flights still connecting their fallen metropolis to the rest of the world.
Sadly this story is behind a 'pay wall' I suspect it will appear in US newspapers. So a couple of citations:Link:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/29/pirates-caribbean-venezuelans-stalking-open-seas-economy-collapses/?Quote:
most of the attacks off Trinidad's coastline take place just before sunset, allowing the culprits to flee under the cover of darkness. Nobody, though, has any doubt where they escape to - Venezuela - where years of economic meltdown under socialist President Maduro has hundreds of jobless fishermen - and in some cases the national coastguard - into buccaneering.
The pirates are also prolific smugglers, running boatloads of cocaine and guns from Venezuela into Trinidad. Many of the firearms are thought to have come from members of Venezuela's underpaid security forces, who sell them to make ends meet.