Crime seems to have evolved in Venezuela creating binational alliances that keep the inhabitants of 21 of the country’s 23 states in anxiety. At least 40 criminal organizations move through the national territory in addition to 28 irregular groups.
(These are the ‘mega gangs’ of crime that operate in Venezuela)
In total, some 22,500 people make up these crime gangs in Venezuela, that is to say 1.8 percent of the population of 28,000,000 inhabitants. The NGO Fundaredes has presented these figures in its last bulletin in which they assure that in addition to the alliances with Colombian groups, Venezuelan criminal organizations adopted guerrilla structures and even corporate identity.
In January, EL TIEMPO revealed that at least 50 gangs were operating in Venezuelan territory in 19 states, including Colombian groups that had a presence in 315 schools in the states of Táchira, Apure and Amazonas. Now, as detailed by Fundaredes in his report, the radius of action has been extended to non-border states, the groups are better armed and operate freely because there are no forceful action policies by the State.
According to the bulletin, the irregulars include the various dissident fronts of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Bolivarian Liberation Forces (FBL), and the Popular Liberation Army (EPL). , Patriotic Forces of National Liberation (Fpln), Urabeños, Rastrojos; “as well as international drug trafficking organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel and isolated groups of garimpeiros who break in from Brazil to seize the gold in the Orinoco Arch.”
The consolidation of these bands is also observed by the extension of their operation. The so-called “Tren de Aragua”, one of the most feared in Venezuela, has carried out high-level crimes in countries such as Colombia and Peru.
“In Venezuela, violence has evolved in parallel to the crisis that has become a Complex Humanitarian Emergency, which affects the entire society,” reads the Fundaredes document, whose coordinator has been imprisoned for a year in the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin). after monitoring and denouncing the conflict in the state of Apure between the Venezuelan Army and irregular groups.
“In a few words, the guerrilla of Colombian origin has become a “school” for some Venezuelan gangs,” the text specifies.
Gangs like “El Patrón” or Karington Soto, from the border state of Zulia, hide in the bush and build cambuches (makeshift camps), like paramilitary groups and guerrillas, moving from one to another to avoid be caught by justice.
The criminals have an arsenal of weapons such as M26, M27, Aris, AF103, Ak47 rifles, pistols and 9-millimeter chargers; grenades, vests and military supplies. Some of these war implements have been seized in proceedings against members of these organizations.
The “Tren de Aragua” in addition to having a large arsenal, has 3,000 members and has a pyramidal structure made up of a main leader, several secondary leaders, and collaborators who operate in Aragua, Carabobo, Sucre, Bolívar, Guárico, Trujillo, Lara , Miranda and Táchira Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Bolivia.
And they are dedicated to kidnappings, homicides, human trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation, drug trafficking, illegal mining, points out Fundaredes.
In Venezuela it is difficult to have access to figures, it is the NGOs who can moderately provide data.
Although homicides have apparently decreased, last year the number was 11,081 according to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory (OVV), with Caracas being the most violent city.
ANA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
Correspondent of THE TIME
CARACAS
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