[66][67] Due to the fact that the "sobrinos" (nephews in Spanish) of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were arrested for narcotics trafficking, the media described the nephews as the narcosobrinos. If you use our chart images on your site or blog, we ask that you provide attribution via a link back to this page. In 1990, 31,861 violent crimes, 184,126 property crimes, and 6,405 drug crimes were reported. Venezuela has a crime index of 83.76, the highest of any country in the world. Police are unable to protect less affluent neighborhoods, and as a result, crime is quite common and criminals operate with impunity. A lock ( A private organization, the Venezuelan Violence Observatory (OVV), puts the rate in 2015 at over 90 per 100,000 people. Venezuela - 36.69. Many people are victimized by crime because of fear and the perceived inability of Venezuela's criminal justice system to . Home invasions have occurred in buildings where U.S. Embassy employees reside. Congresswoman Delsa Solorzano -- also the vice president of opposition party Un . [75][76][77], There was little history of organized crime in Venezuela until the start of the Bolivarian Revolution. [15] The U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security stated that there were 73 daily violent deaths in 2018. San Antonio Prison was controlled by El Conejo (The Rabbit), a powerful jailed drug trafficker who makes his "enforcers" patrol the prison. Police officers : Number of police officers per 100,000 population. So if you have a police force, it's not about whether you're doing your job, it's about whether you're a revolutionary. In some cases, crime has grown so pervasive in Venezuela that the military is ordered to avoid public places during nighttime hours since criminals often attempt to steal their weapons, with robberies in the country often targeting unaware individuals using a kill first, steal later method. World Factbook of Criminal Justice Systems: Venezuela Venezuela: homicide rate 2014-2022. InSight Crime. [122][123][124], Days after the replacement of the plan's creator Miguel Rodrguez Torres by Carmen Melndez as Minister of the Popular Power for Interior, Justice and Peace,[125] Melendez announced that the Venezuelan government would relaunch Plan Patria Segura for a second time. Why is the crime rate so high in Venezuela? - 2023 We have provided a few examples below that you can copy and paste to your site: Your data export is now complete. [107] Petty crime such as pick-pocketing is prevalent, particularly in public transport terminals in Caracas. Prison population total. [79] According to InSight Crime, there are over a dozen mega-gangs in Venezuela, with some having up to 300 members. Venezuela | World Prison Brief "Homicide rate in Venezuela from 2014 to 2022 (in number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants)." They occur when criminals force their victims to extract cash from ATM machines or to make purchases with the victims credit cards until the card is shut off. The elevated risk for local employees can be attributed to disparity between upscale expatriate neighborhoods and the rest of the city. Venezuela - The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency [18] The Bolivarian Revolution attempted to "destroy what previously existed, the status quo of society" with instability increasing. . [85] Human Rights Watch described colectivos as "armed gangs who use violence with impunity" to harass political opponents of the Venezuelan government. The criminal threat level is considered critical for the capital city of Caracas and all of Venezuela. Is Venezuela Safe? 2022 Safety Guide for the Land of Grace In mid-2004 Venezuela's estimated population totaled 26.2 million, which would be a murder rate of 42 per 100,000. Venezuela's soaring murder rate has plunged the nation into a public 2. [citation needed] The United States State Department and the Government of Canada have warned foreign visitors that they may be subjected to armed robbery, kidnapping and murder. ChartThe estimated rate of private gun ownership (both licit and illicit) per 100 people in Venezuela is 2017: 19.23 7 2010: 11.02 2005: 10.82 [139] According to Alessio Bruni of the United Nations Committee against Torture, "a typical problem of the prison system is gun violence, nearly circulating freely within prisons, causing hundreds and hundreds of people killed every year" with the UN committee alarmed at reports that between 2004 and 2014, 4,791 inmates were killed and 9,931 injured. The short answer is yes, Venezuela is safe to visit. [86][87] Amnesty International calls them "armed pro-government supporters who are tolerated or supported by the authorities". [36] According to the World Bank, the 2016 homicide rate was 56 per 100,000, making Venezuela third in the world, after El Salvador and Honduras. The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 4 travel advisory for Venezuela, indicating that it is unsafe to travel to the country, and travelers should not travel there. [132], Carlos Nieto, head of Window to Freedom, alleges that heads of gangs acquire military weapons from the state saying, They have the types of weapons that can only be obtained by the country's armed forces. . The majority of crimes that dominate the environment in Caracas are express kidnappings, carjackings, robberies, and home invasions. [51][52] Available data underestimates the amount of express kidnapping, where victims are typically released in less than two days after relatives pay a quick ransom. [Online]. . Millions of people have been pushed into poverty as a result of the country's years-long crisis. In the areas where most kidnappings occur, the government set up so-called "peace zones" where official police withdrew and criminal gangs took over;[51] according to NBC News, "experts say the government has armed these groups [who] control large territories, financed through extortion and the drug trade". Express kidnappings (secuestro express) have become more common than traditional kidnappings. Guns in Venezuela Firearms, gun law and gun control The majority of violent crimes in Venezuela take place in impoverished areas. People avoid being out [133] According to the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons (OVP), from 1999 to 2015, there were 22,998 violent incidents, with 16,417 injured and 6,581 inmates killed. An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice. Citing government figures, a prominent opposition leader in Venezuela has said the country's impunity rate hovers at about 98 percent, an assertion that will likely feed rising perceptions of insecurity. Caracas, Venezuela reputedly has a murder rate over 100 per 100,000. 08-01-2021 14:08:00 ZULU. Venezuela murder rate dips, partly due to migration - Reuters [104] The Metropolitan Police force in Caracas was so corrupt that it was accused of assisting some of the 17,000 kidnappings. @media only screen and (min-device-width : 320px) and (max-device-width : 480px) { [SOURCE] In early 2006 the murder rate in Baghdad appeared to be about 200 per 100,000 [SOURCE]. A non-government organisation says Venezuela has the world's highest murder rate - many of them extrajudicial killings by police.And an elite special forces . Lesotho (41.2 per 100,000) Lesotho is a small country found in southern Africa. Jumping to the year 2014, the rate was 166, and as of 2016 the rate was at 173 [135], In 2018, Minister of Prison Service Iris Varela stated that when "[c]omparing the Venezuelan prison system with other penitentiary systems in the world, I can guarantee that this is the best in the world, because there have been no incidents", ignoring at least the April 2018 fire that occurred in the police station jails in Valencia, Carabobo where 68 people died per official figures. Human rights groups suggest that the government's policing efforts are too "timid". He also explained that prison are controlled by gangs and that "very little has been done" to control them. Qatar has the lowest crime rate in the world, followed by the UAE, according to Numbeo statistics. [114][115], During the presidency of the Hugo Chvez, more than 20 programs were created attempting to deter crime, though insecurity continued to increase following their implementation. The poverty rate in Venezuela is 82 percent, and the unemployment rate is 18 percent. Venezuela crisis in brief. Venezuela's current population growth rate is in negatives, mostly due to negative net migration. Venezuela crime rate & statistics for 2016 was 58.31, a 12.06% increase from 2015. Crime in Venezuela is widespread, with violent crimes such as murder and kidnapping increasing annually. By the end of 2019, there was an increase in the number of predatory crimes again as well as extortion by criminal elements and government officials. [80] Despite the Venezuelan government's statements saying that only official authorities can carry weapons for the defense of Venezuela, colectivos are armed with automatic rifles such as AK-47s, submachine guns, fragmentation grenades, and tear gas. Due to the Venezuelan government not complying to the standards of stopping human trafficking, the State Department placed Venezuelan on its "black list" as a Tier 3 country, which opened the possibility of Venezuela facing sanctions. [144][145], In 2014, on average, Venezuelan prisons held 231% of their capacity, according to Alessio Bruni of the U.N. Committee against Torture. Venezuela: homicide rate 2020, by city. Still, if there is a uniting factor, it has to do with Venezuela's searing rate of violent crime, including . the country has a murder rate of about 67 per 100,000 inhabitants. Many unaffiliated criminals are also increasingly involved in kidnappings, either dealing with victim's families directly or selling the victim to terrorist groups. Saint Kitts and Nevis - 36.09. [37] The government says there were 60 daily homicides in 2016, and 45 daily in 2015,[38] corresponding with Venezuela's downward economic spiral, according to NBC News; the OVV says the numbers are higher. [126], In 2013, it was reported that Venezuela was one of the most weaponized areas in the world, with one firearm per two citizens. [46] Wealthy Venezuelans invest in armored vehicles and bodyguards, while middle class Venezuelans change routes to work frequently, refrain from wearing jewelry in public, and never travel on foot alone. Lots of frustration, little hope. Venezuela Crime Profiles (Subcategories) Fear of crime 9: Smuggling of migrants 4: Perceived problems 4: Suicide rates 3: Prisoners 4: Violent crime 6: Punishment 6: Venezuela categories. Venezuela's crisis is so bad, even criminals are - The Washington Post [38], By 2018, Venezuela's murder ratedescribed as the highest in the worldhad begun to decrease according to the OVV, with the organization stating that this downward trend was due to the millions of Venezuelans that emigrated from the country at the time. Official websites use .gov Food Shortages are Common. [13][14], In spite of significant socioeconomic problems, the murder rate in Venezuela decreased between 2017 and 2020. Within the United States, crime rates vary between different states. UNICEF reported that 6.9 million students in Venezuela missed almost all classroom instruction between March 2020 and February 2021. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. The practical effect of the penal code reform was to make police officers more hesitant to make arrests. [citation needed] This is due to Venezuela's economic problems. In 1990, 31,861 violent crimes, 184,126 property crimes, and 6,405 drug crimes were reported. Venezuela crisis: Three in four in extreme poverty, study says [1] Human Rights Watch claims that the "police commit one of every five crimes" and that thousands of people have been killed by police officers acting with impunity (only 3% of officers have been charged in cases against them). 18 December 2020. [45], In leaked government INE data for kidnappings in the year 2009, the number of kidnappings were at an estimated 16,917, contrasting the CICPCs number of only 673,[43] before the Venezuelan government blocked the data. Statistics | City of Merced, CA In 2020, the country had a crime rate of 99.7 per 100,000 people. The police allegedly collaborated with the robbers, receiving a cut of what they stole. Investigation of all crime is haphazard and ineffective. Chavez's penal code reform of 1999 led to 12,000 criminals being released from jail and put back on the streets without supervision. 4 January. This overview of Venezuela's criminal justice system encompasses political and legal systems, the nature and extent of crime, victims, law enforcement, the prosecutorial and judicial process, the judicial system, penalties and sentencing, the prison system, and extradition and treaties. With a population of over 2.9 million inhabitants, the number of murders per 100,000 inhabitants in the greater Caracas area was 71. [49] News.com.au called Venezuela capital "the kidnap capital of the world" in 2013, noting that Venezuela had the highest kidnapping rate in the world and that 5 people were kidnapped for a ransom every day. Venezuela Crime Stats: NationMaster.com [63] Venezuelan officials have also been allegedly working with Mexican drug cartels. If the experts are right, for the year 2009 there was an alarming 9.2 incidents of kidnapping per 100,000 inhabitants in Venezuela. Levels of gratuitous violence are on the increase and the majority of criminals use lethal weapons in the course of carrying out their activities. By the end of last year, prices were doubling . The facility had been overcrowded by more than three times its designed capacity.[147]. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Show sources information Insight Crime attributes Venezuela's rise in violence to a range . [78], In the World Report 2014 by Human Rights Watch, the organization stated that "Venezuelan prisons are among the most violent in Latin America". }, Page last modified: In an interview with Prison Minister Iris Varela, the minister explained how all prisons were under her control and that there was no anarchy. [5] By 1993, Venezuela's murder rate stood at 21 homicides per 100,000 people. The age of criminal responsibility is 18 years. [140][141], Edgardo Lander, a sociologist and professor at the Central University of Venezuela with a PhD in sociology from Harvard University explained that Venezuelan prisons are "practically a school for criminals" since young inmates come out "more sort of trained and hardened than when they went in". The BBC seriously repeats the Venezuelan government's claim that the ban is Maria recalls a shift in the nature of the crimes as desperation fueled robberies with the threat of violence. The violent crime of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter increased 0.3 percent in 2019 when compared with the 2018 . Venezuela's Crime Debacle: A Cautionary Tale - Brookings Venezuela Population 2023 (Live) - worldpopulationreview.com [134] Their occupancy level is at a shocking 153.9% according to 2016 studies. [92] According to the International Crisis Group, colectivos may be involved in drug trafficking, arms dealing, and car theft. Venezuela Has World's Second-Highest Homicide Rate: NGO While municipal police are tasked with responding to crimes, it is the national police that are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the cases. [40], Director James Brabazon stated that "kidnapping crimes had skyrocketed after late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez freed thousands of violent prisoners as part of controversial criminal justice system reforms" while also increasing due to Colombian organized crime as well. [19] The Chvez government banned private gun ownership in 2012[20][21] but overall crime rate has kept increasing since. United States of America. [24] InSight Crime says the crisis has "all too often been obscured by the government's reluctance to release damning crime statistics". [63] On 15 February 2014, a commander for the Guard was stopped while driving to Valencia with his family and was arrested for having 554 kilos of cocaine in his possession. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. [18] In 2000, the homicide rate for young men was 225 per 100,000. [52], Many kidnappings are not reported to police in Venezuela since they are not trusted. Some kidnap victims have been released after ransom payments, while others have been murdered. Level of crime: 93.11: Very High: Crime increasing in the past 3 years: 86.72: Very High: Worries home broken and things stolen: 76.20: High: Worries being mugged or robbed . Chart. [146], In May 2020, inmates rioted at the Llanos Penitentiary Center in Guanare, leading to 40 deaths. Venezuela crime out of control, imperiling Chavez re-election - USA TODAY Year. The government each year lumps several thousands of deaths into these categories to lower the official homicide rate. [50] Criminals will cut off access to family members and then report to the family that they have been kidnapped, demanding a ransom without actually imprisoning an individual. Venezuela crime soars amid declining poverty. [130][dead link], Venezuelan prisons are led by "pranes" or criminal bosses that operate while jailed. In 2014, the United Nations attributed crime to the poor political and economic environment in the countrywhich, at the time, had the second highest murder rate in the world. If you use our datasets on your site or blog, we ask that you provide attribution via a link back to this page. United States vs Venezuela Crime Stats Compared - NationMaster Such judicial efficiency is extraordinary in Venezuela, a country of 28 million inhabitants, of which at least five are kidnapped every day. Its murder rate is 41.2 homicides per 100,000 people, the fifth-highest in the world. Private gun ownership was banned in Venezuela in June 2012, but their homicide rate went from 73 per 100,000 people in 2012 to 82 per 100,000 people in 2015. In August the attorney general's office reported that of the more than 6 thousand police officers implicated in killings during the last 5 years, only 88 were convicted. [130][dead link] The majority of Venezuelans also believed that there was a poor due process of law while also thinking that the criminal justice system was not timely and judgement was ineffective. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set More than 330 police officers were murdered across Venezuela last year, . Are you interested in testing our business solutions? [37] OVV data has 23,047 homicides committed in Venezuela in 2018, a rate of 81.4 per 100,000 people, with the decline being attributed to emigration. Cross-border violence, kidnapping, drug trafficking, smuggling, and cattle-rustling occur frequently in areas along the 1,000-mile long border between Venezuela and Colombia. [41][46][47] According to the leaked INE report, only 1,332 investigations for kidnappings were opened or about 7% of the total kidnapping cases, with 90% of the kidnappings happening away from rural areas, 80% of all being express kidnappings and the most common victim being lower-middle or middle class Venezuelans and middle-aged men. Venezuela's out of control violent crime. [132], Venezuelan rights groups report that the 34 prisons in Venezuela hold 50,000 people but are only supposed to hold about one-third of that. Phil Gunson, a freelance reporter for foreign media, states that, "It's no secret that many colectivos engage in criminal activities." [5] The Bolivarian government then believed that violence and crime were due to poverty and inequality, though while the government boasted about reducing both poverty and inequality, the murder rate continued to increase in Venezuela. 10. Venezuela crime rate & statistics for 2015 was 52.04, a 17.85% decline from 2014. [55], In 2007, authorities in Colombia claimed that through laptops they had seized on a raid against Raul Reyes, they found documents purporting to show that Hugo Chvez offered payments of as much as $300 million USD to the FARC. Sentences frequently were light, and convictions often were overturned on appeal. Thousands of oil engineers emigrated to Canada, Colombia, and the United States following CHAVEZ's firing of over 20,000 employees . Venezuela Crisis: Murder Rate Peaks Amid State of Emergency - Time Venezuela - Crime - GlobalSecurity.org [118], In 2008, the National Assembly passed the Law Against Kidnapping and Extortion (Ley contra el Secuestro y la Extorsin), a law that imposes penalties of up to 30 years in prison to address a kidnapping situation that was not covered by a specific law. Police authorities cite a lack of resources, under-staffing, payroll issues and lack of response by the judicial and corrections systems, as the key reasons why response times are delayed and a significant amount of criminals go unpunished.