Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) 1959 . Homicides decreased by 2% . Armed robbery, mugging, carjacking, and burglary are . But the Venezuela Violence Observatory, a respected nonprofit group, estimates that murders dropped from 89 per 100,000 people in 2017 to 81.4 last year. Corrupt Venezuelan police officers may be involved in some 20 percent of the "deaths from resisting authority" that the government tries to keep out of the official tally. [15] The murder rate declined even further to 60.3 in 2019. For Crime Statistics, please contact Lance Eber at (209) 385-4701. Crippling poverty exists in this South American nation on a . Caracas, Venezuela reputedly has a murder rate over 100 per 100,000. In 2020, the country had a crime rate of 99.7 per 100,000 people. Venezuela crime rate & statistics for 2015 was 52.04, a 17.85% decline from 2014. Within the United States, crime rates vary between different states. A decades-old problem in Venezuela, armed robberies, kidnappings and murders climbed during the 1999-2013 rule of . [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. 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. Statisticians and police have openly stated that only 30-40% of all kidnappings get reported to the police. Victims do not have a role in sentencing unless they initiate the prosecution. 10. . 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. The majority of violent crimes in Venezuela take place in impoverished areas. In 2011, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States denounced the practice of "The Coliseum" saying "The Commission reiterates to the State the need to take immediate and effective steps to prevent such incidents from happening again" after two inmates died and 54 more were injured from these practices. . Year End Reports. [18] A more recent 2014 UNICEF report titled Hidden in Plain Sight, it was stated that in Venezuela, along with other Latin American countries, the leading cause of death for males between 10 and 19 is murder. [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. [11] Crimes related to shortages and hunger increased shortly after with growing incidents of looting occurring throughout the country. An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. [110] In June 2016, it was reported that the town of Cuman was under effective curfew after an outbreak of mass looting. [22], Venezuela is especially dangerous toward foreign travelers and investors who are visiting. In mid-2004 Venezuela's estimated population totaled 26.2 million, which would be a murder rate of 42 per 100,000. [116] In 2009, the Venezuelan government created a security force called the Bolivarian National Police as well as a new Experimental Security University. Venezuela's current population growth rate is in negatives, mostly due to negative net migration. Venezuela has a high crime rate. [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. He also explained that prison are controlled by gangs and that "very little has been done" to control them. Crime statistics indicate the crime rate rose from 700 per 100,000 population in 1972 to 1,300 per 100,000 population in 1990. 4 January. [39], In 2009, it was reported that Venezuelan authorities would assign judicial police to Caracas area morgues to speak with families. Only a very small percentage of criminals are tried and convicted. Murder rate: Homicide rate per year per 100,000 inhabitants in various countries. HOMICIDES / 2 APR 2015 BY VENEZUELA INVESTIGATIVE UNIT EN. [58][59] According to Greg Palast, the claim about Chavez's $300 million is based on the following (translated) sentence: "With relation to the 300, which from now on we will call 'dossier', efforts are now going forward at the instructions of the cojo [slang term for 'cripple'], which I will explain in a separate note." [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. [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. [25] The New Yorker reporter found that even stairwells in a public hospital were not safe from robbers, who preyed on staff and patients despite the large number of security forces guarding the hospital, saying this was because the police were assigned to contain journalists who might embarrass the government with exposs on the state of the hospital; they were not assigned to protect its occupants. [13] In July 2015, BBC News stated that due to the common shortages in Venezuela, every week there are videos shared online showing Venezuelans looting supermarkets and trucks for food. Violent crime is rife in both the capital Caracas and the interior, and as a foreigner you are a prime target. Crime rates in Venezuela. The prison is described as a "paradise", with a community including pools, bars, a boxing ring and many other accommodations for any visitor of prisoners who can stay the night at the prison for up to three days per week. Belize - 37.79. According to United Nations, the homicides rate in Venezuela was 53.7 murders per 100,000 persons in 2012; that's higher than figures for many other Latin American countries, including Colombia . a 63-year-old carpenter living in a "barrio" or slum in Caracas told Al . Economic Indicators for Venezuela including actual values, historical data, and latest data updates for the Venezuela economy. [51] At least 80% of kidnappings occur in a limited area around Caracas and including Miranda State. In 2012, La Planta, a prison built in 1964 with a capacity of 350 inmates, held almost 2,500 inmates with many armed with heavy weapons. Palast suggests that the "300" is supposedly a reference to "300 prisoners" (the number involved in a FARC prisoner exchange) and not "300 million", as Raul Reyes was one of the Farc's main negotiators for prisoner exchanges. A nongovernmental group that tracks crime in Venezuela says the homicide rate climbed in 2015, putting the country on track to be one of the most violent in the world. The article also explains the problem of police involvement with kidnappings, with the Venezuelan government admitting that 20% of crimes involve authorities and criminologist Mrmol Garca stating that 90% of kidnappings go unreported in Venezuela. Venezuela (83.76) Papua New Guinea (80.79) South Africa (76.86) Afghanistan (76.31) Honduras (74.54) Trinidad and . Maria recalls a shift in the nature of the crimes as desperation fueled robberies with the threat of violence. Lots of frustration, little hope. The crime rate in the United State is 47.77 which is more than 55 countries. Members of the security forces charged with or convicted of crimes rarely were imprisoned. [119] The plan, created by Miguel Rodrguez Torres,[120] included the placement of 37,000 authorities throughout the country. 32 references, 810 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 20531, United States, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States, Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000, United States. Many people are victimized by crime because of fear and the perceived inability of Venezuela's criminal justice system to prevent crime. [29] In 2015, the OVV's murder rate data showed an increase of the rate to 90 per 100,000 with an estimated 27,878 Venezuelans murdered adding up to nearly 20% of murders in the Latin American region. Owing to its ever-growing homicide rate, Venezuela is among the most dangerous countries in Latin America and the world. Crime in Venezuela can be attributed to several factors; poverty, retribution, drugs, gangs, and politics. The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country. By the end of last year, prices were doubling . 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. . [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. Rates of crime rapidly began to increase during the presidency of Hugo Chvez due to the institutional instability of his Bolivarian government, underfunding of police resources, and severe inequality. [130][dead link], Venezuelan prisons are led by "pranes" or criminal bosses that operate while jailed. Most violent crimes in Caracas, especially murder, involve firearms. [19] The Chvez government banned private gun ownership in 2012[20][21] but overall crime rate has kept increasing since. In an interview with Prison Minister Iris Varela, the minister explained how all prisons were under her control and that there was no anarchy. Investigation of all crime is haphazard and ineffective. [111] In 2017, it was revealed that even military personnel became targets, with criminals instead beginning to just kill all of their victims before stealing their belongings, introducing a more violent face to theft in the country. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in murders per 100,000 people, the country is surpassed only by Cte d'Ivoire, El Salvador, and Honduras. Phil Gunson, a freelance reporter for foreign media, states that, "It's no secret that many colectivos engage in criminal activities." 2020 MPD Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted; 2019 MPD Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted; The short answer is yes, Venezuela is safe to visit. We have provided a few examples below that you can copy and paste to your site: Your data export is now complete. Table 1Crime in the United States, by Volume and Rate per 100,000 Inhabitants, 2000-2019 Table 1ACrime in the United States, Percent Change in Volume and Rate per 100,000 Inhabitants for 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years. [136], The Acarigua prison riot in 2019, left 29 prisoners dead, and 19 guards injured. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. Venezuela crime rate & statistics for 2016 was 58.31, a 12.06% increase from 2015. Venezuela is a limited democratic federal republic, and the legal system is based on a civil model largely influenced by historical European dominance. [96] Videos circulated on social media showing colectivos threatening protesters and shooting in the streets;[97] two protestors were shot. Before President Hugo Chavez came to power, Venezuela had a homicide rate similar to that of Brazil and Mexico, of between 18 and 20 victims per 100,000 inhabitants. But the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, a nongovernmental group, estimated that there were 27,875 murders that year, which would make Venezuela's homicide rate one of the highest in the world . Kidnapping is a particularly serious problem, with more than 1,000 reported during 2005 alone. 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. Facebook: quarterly number of MAU (monthly active users) worldwide 2008-2022, Quarterly smartphone market share worldwide by vendor 2009-2022, Number of apps available in leading app stores Q3 2022, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. With 16,000 homicides last year, Venezuela became the world's second deadliest country. Police support, both from the national and municipal levels, varies. According to a study by the opposition-controlled National Assembly, the annual inflation rate reached 1,300,000% in the 12 months to November 2018. Backlinks from other websites and blogs are the lifeblood of our site and are our primary source of new traffic. [51][52] While it is against the law to pay a ransom, according to criminologists, at least 80% of kidnappings are not reported for fear of retaliation,[53] or because relatives prefer to negotiate, hoping the hostage will be released and fearing they will be killed if authorities are contacted. [48], On 13 May 2013, President Nicolas Maduro initiated Plan Patria Segura saying "we have decided to fight to build a secure homeland". [50] In Venezuela's prisons, inmates will use "telemarketing" strategies, creating fear in individuals so that they will pay before possibly being kidnapped. Despite these high rates of violence, the international community knows relatively little about the dynamics underlying conflict in the city. [5] The rise of murders in Venezuela following the Chvez presidency has also been attributed by experts to the corruption of Venezuelan authorities, poor gun control and a poor judiciary system. [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. [117][104] The United Nations has stated that the Venezuelan government is lacking 20,000 investigative police. [27], In 2010, The New York Times stated that according to news reports, data from human rights groups, such as the OVV's statistics, may actually be undercounting the number of those murdered in Venezuela. Year. The majority of crimes that dominate the environment in Caracas are express kidnappings, carjackings, robberies, and home invasions. More than 330 police officers were murdered across Venezuela last year, . In the year 2000, the rate was only 58 per 100,000 people. They also mentioned that hundreds of violent deaths occur at Venezuelan prisons each year. The discovery of oil worsened political corruption,[98] and by the late 1970s, Juan Pablo Prez Alfonso's description of oil as "the Devil's excrement" became a common expression in Venezuela. Crime in Venezuela. Many Venezuelans abroad . In 2009 reported kidnappings more than doubled from the previous year. Sentences are determined by trial judges, and possible penalties include fines, restitution, probation, and incarceration. . Some kidnap victims have been released after ransom payments, while others have been murdered. The Venezuelan Observatory on Violence (VOV) reported a 14 percent increase in violent crimes from 2012 to 2013. Se espera su declaracin pblica en EE UU", "Detienen a comandante de la Milicia con cargamento de drogas", "Venezuela Military Officials Piloted Drug Plane", "La Casa Militar de Maduro custodi el traslado de droga de sus sobrinos", "Venezuelan first lady's nephews convicted in U.S. drug trial", "EEUU: postergaron una vez ms la audiencia de los narcosobrinos de Maduro | Nicols Maduro, Narcotrfico en Venezuela, Nueva York - Amrica", "Restan das para el juicio de los "narcosobrinos", "Difieren audiencia del caso de los "narcosobrinos" de Cilia", "La mujer de Maduro acusa a la DEA de secuestrar a sus "narcosobrinos", "Nicols Maduro, seis das de silencio en torno al escndalo de los 'narcosobrinos', "US Blacklists Thailand, Malaysia Over Trafficking", "The United States blacklists Venezuela in human trafficking", "10 claves para entender las Zonas de Paz", "As operan los 'colectivos', las fuerzas paramilitares chavistas de Venezuela", "The devolution of state power: The 'Colectivos', "Venezuela's Leftist Collectives: Criminals or Revolutionaries? Congresswoman Delsa Solorzano -- also the vice president of opposition party Un . 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. [5] In the 1960s following the restoration of democracy, insecurity rose when FALN leftist guerrillas participated in violent confrontations with the government, though such clashes subsided due to lack of public support for the guerrilla movement. Many unaffiliated criminals are also increasingly involved in kidnappings, either dealing with victim's families directly or selling the victim to terrorist groups. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. Home invasions and other complex crimes are well planned and involve the use of a person with inside knowledge or a scam (such as impersonating police, delivery personnel, or utility company personnel) to gain access. Recent years have brought significant food shortages to Venezuela, prompting more than six million people to leave the country. Since 2017, when it peaked . Venezuela has 1.5 police officers per 1,000 residents, while U.S. cities average 3.8 per 1,000. In 1990, 31,861 violent crimes, 184,126 property crimes, and 6,405 drug crimes were reported. [142], In Venezuelan prisons, inmates partake in gladiatorial matches to settle disputes. Data prior to 2022 were retrieved from previous releases of the publication. [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. Thor Halvorssen, founder of the Human Rights Foundation[17], Under Hugo Chvez, the "institution" of Venezuela deteriorated, with political instability, impunity and violent government language increasing. This unindustrialized nation is steeped in natural beauty and just waiting to be discovered, but this doesn't mean you can go wandering alone in the Amazon. [83] According to ABC News, "it is widely believed that colectivos kill drug traffickers who do not obey their orders". [79] According to InSight Crime, there are over a dozen mega-gangs in Venezuela, with some having up to 300 members. In the mid-1970s Lesotho witnessed a murder rate of 141 per 100,000, while more recently Columbia's murder rate was variously estimate at between 63 and 84 per 100,000. [18] In 2000, the homicide rate for young men was 225 per 100,000. Instead, pranes run criminal organizations outside of prisons and receive security within their facilities. Armed assaults and robberies continue to be a part of normal everyday life. [132], There are a total of 34 prisons in Venezuela holding about 50,000 inmates. [96], Corruption in Venezuela is high by world standards, and has been for much of the 20th century. It is estimated that Venezuela's population will reach its peak of 35.57 million by 2063. [13][14], In spite of significant socioeconomic problems, the murder rate in Venezuela decreased between 2017 and 2020. 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". There have been several high profile kidnappings that have resulted in murder, including the killings of three minor Canadian brothers, a wealthy Italo-Venezuelan businessman, and the daughter of a senior Venezuelan military commander. Food Shortages are Common. Within the embassy community, Venezuelan employees fall victim to crime far more frequently than their American employee colleagues. [54], According to Brabazon, businesses, families and friends gather money and put it aside for in the event they need it to pay kidnapping ransoms. [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. [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 methods of accomplishing these tasks were through surveillance, checking documents, verification checkpoints and to help guide communities. [69][70][71][72][73][74], According to the Trafficking in Persons Report 2014 by the State Department of the United States, "Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor". In 2013, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) published the homicide report, and Venezuela was positioned as the second highest homicide rate in the world with a 1. Over the last several years, Venezuela has become a pivotal player in the international drug trafficking game. In the last 25 years, the rate of violent crime in the US has fallen dramatically. Statista. From 1917, "greater awareness of the country's oil potential had the pernicious effect of increasing the corruption and intrigue amongst Gomez's family and entourage, the consequences of which would be felt up to 1935 B. S. McBeth (2002). [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. note 1: the country lies on major sea and air routes linking North and South America note 2: Venezuela has some of the most unique geology in the world; tepuis are massive table-top mountains of the western Guiana Highlands that tend to be isolated and thus support unique endemic plant and animal species; their sheer cliffsides account for some of the most spectacular . [5] In the 1950s, the rapid urbanization of the population saw some rises in violent crime. The 10 countries with the highest rape rates per 100,000 inhabitants are listed below. Insight Crime attributes Venezuela's rise in violence to a range . In 2020, the capital city Caracas ranked third in the ranking of most violent Venezuelan metropolises, with a . . US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, International Crime Statistics Program, Territories Financial Support Center (TFSC), Tribal Financial Management Center (TFMC). Retrieved from, Last edited on 14 December 2022, at 22:16, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Minister of the Popular Power for Interior, Justice and Peace, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, "Latin America Scores Lowest on Security", "Venezuela es el pas ms inseguro del mundo, segn un estudio", "With 28,479 killings, Venezuela takes second spot on world murder ranking", "Tres fases de la violencia homicida en Venezuela", "Chavez leaves Venezuelan economy more equal, less stable", "For Venezuela, Drop In Global Oil Prices Could Be Catastrophic", "Why Venezuelans worry more about food than crime", "Looting and violence on the rise in Venezuela supermarkets", "On Venezuela's highways, a disabled truck increasingly means a looted truck", "Venezuela murder rate dips, partly due to migration: monitoring group", "Venezuela, otra vez el pas ms peligroso de Amrica Latina: registr 16.506 muertes violentas en 2019", "Venezuelan beauty queen gets carjacked at gunpoint", "Venezuelans regret gun ban, 'a declaration of war against an unarmed population', "Crime is so bad in Venezuela that even soldiers were ordered to avoid driving at night", "Los venezolanos creen vivir en el pas ms peligroso del mundo", "Reports of kidnapping in Venezuela nearly double in 2016", "Venezuela rocked by killing of beauty queen Monica Spear", "Venezuela se desangra: rcord de homicidios en 2013", "Venezuela's Homicide Rate Rises, NGO's Report Says", "Venezuela, More Deadly Than Iraq, Wonders Why", "Venezuela sufre 2000 muertes violentas por mes", "Venezuela's Maduro launches civilian disarmament plan", "Observer group: Venezuelan homicide rate rose in 2015, rivaling El Salvador as world's highest", "Venezuela first among the most violent countries in LatAm", "Attorney General's UN Gaffe Reveals Venezuela's Record-High Murder Rate Violence at Epidemic Levels Based on Government's Own Figures", "Venezuela's escalating violence seen in killing of Carolina Herrera's nephew", "One in 10 girls sexually abused worldwide: UN", "Venezuela favorece a los familiares de fallecidos que no informan a la prensa", "Hubo 16,917 secuestros en 2009 en Venezuela", "SeguridadPblicayPrivada VenezuelayBolivia", "Venezuela: Gravsima Crisis de Seguridad Pblica by Lexys Rendon", "Segn el Cicpc el 2011 cerr con 1.150 secuestros en todo el pas Sucesos", "Welcome to Venezuela, the kidnap capital of the world", "Taking no prisoners in the kidnap capital of the world: On the streets of Caracas with an elite police squad", "EN EL 2009 SE COMETIERON MS DE 16.000 SECUESTROS EN VENEZUELA, SEGN EL GOBIERNO LOCAL", "Venezuela y los secuestros diarios que no se reportan", "Ubican a Venezuela en el quinto lugar en riesgo de secuestros", "For Venezuelans, Kidnappings Are Simply Business As Usual", "Agentes de inteligencia venezolanos operan bandas de secuestro y extorsin", "FARC Computer Files Are Authentic, Interpol Probe Finds", "$300 Million From Chavez to FARC a Fake", "Interpol Analysis of FARC Laptop Authenticity Will Not "Prove" Links Between Venezuela, Rebels", "Treasury Targets Venezuelan Government Officials Supporting the FARC", "National Assembly removes Justice Aponte Aponte", "Venezuelan official: Ex-judge 'sold his soul' to the DEA", "Corrupt military officials helping Venezuela drug trade flourish", "Fuente AP: Aponte Aponte est en contacto con la DEA.
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