venezuela crime rate by year venezuela crime rate by year

Crime Information Venezuela and its capital, Caracas, have among the highest per capita murder rates in the world. Maria recalls a shift in the nature of the crimes as desperation fueled robberies with the threat of violence. In 2022, there were nearly 40.4 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in the country, down from a homicide rate of 40.9 year earlier. Some kidnap victims have been released after ransom payments, while others have been murdered. In 1990, 31,861 violent crimes, 184,126 property crimes, and 6,405 drug crimes were reported. The judicial system is composed of the Supreme Court, superior courts, trial courts, and special courts. Aponte also claimed that Henry Rangel, former defense minister of Venezuela and General Clver Alcal Cordones were both involved with the drug trade in Venezuela. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The 10 countries with the highest rape rates per 100,000 inhabitants are listed below. 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. [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. Most violent crimes in Caracas, especially murder, involve firearms. 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 . Ministra asegura que el sistema penitenciario venezolano es el mejor del mundo", "23 Inmates Killed in Venezuelan Prison Uprising, Says Rights Group", "Venezuela prison riot leaves more than 40 dead", "In Venezuela's prisons, inmates are the wardens", "The Modern History of Venezuela, Why Still So Much Crime? Under his administration, extrajudicial killings rose dramatically with over 8,000 Venezuelans being killed by state authorities between 2015 and 2017. 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. The BBC seriously repeats the Venezuelan government's claim that the ban is . Dec. 28, 2015. Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are active in Venezuela. Its 2018 report, based on input from . Lots of frustration, little hope. 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. They explained that "Weak security, deteriorating infrastructure, overcrowding, insufficient and poorly trained guards, and corruption allow armed gangs to effectively control prisons". [5] Following the "institutional crisis" surrounding the Venezuelan government and the socioeconomic issues shown during the Caracazo riots in 1989 and Hugo Chvez's 1992 coup attempts, homicides increased in Venezuela. In, InSight Crime. [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 has 1.5 police officers per 1,000 residents, while U.S. cities average 3.8 per 1,000. It mainly involves birds, turtles and snakes, and when caught, perpetrators . [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. [96] Videos circulated on social media showing colectivos threatening protesters and shooting in the streets;[97] two protestors were shot. Crime statistics indicate the crime rate rose from 700 per 100,000 population in 1972 to 1,300 per 100,000 population in 1990. Crime statistics indicate the crime rate rose from 700 per 100,000 population in 1972 to 1,300 per 100,000 population in 1990. [26], Venezuela is currently among the countries with the highest murder rates in the world. Investigation of all crime is haphazard and ineffective. Geography - note. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. [88] An Organization of American States report on human rights violations in Venezuela stated that colectivos murdered at least 131 individuals between 2014 and 2017 during the anti-government protests. The prosecutorial and judicial process is concerned with rights of the accused and procedures for bringing suspects to trial. Homicide rate in Venezuela from 2014 to 2022 (in number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants) [Graph]. Nigeria - 34.52. No figure for the country's homicide rate was released that year. [60] In March 2012, Venezuela's National Assembly removed Supreme Court Justice Eladio Aponte Aponte from his post after an investigation revealed alleged ties to drug-trafficking;[61] on the day he was to face questioning, Aponte Aponte fled the country, and has sought refuge in the U.S., where he began to cooperate with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Justice. However, due to their proximity to wealthy areas, it is relatively easy for gangs and criminal elements to infiltrate the more affluent neighborhoods. Venezuela crime soars amid declining poverty. Police officers : Number of police officers per 100,000 population. [107] Petty crime such as pick-pocketing is prevalent, particularly in public transport terminals in Caracas. The criminal threat level is considered critical for the capital city of Caracas and all of Venezuela. [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. The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country. Murder rate : Homicide rate per year per 100,000 inhabitants in various countries. Well armed criminal gangs operate with impunity, often setting up fake police checkpoints. In-person classes resumed in October 2021, but with limited . 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. Brazil (67.49) Jamaica (67.42) 1. [29] A non-governmental organization known as the Venezuelan Violence Observatory (OVV), which collects crime data from seven different universities around the country, provides data of homicide rates in Venezuela. Previously, huge shipments of cocaine leaving Colombia and destined for the U.S. were mostly relayed via Mexico on an Eastern Pacific route. Many people are victimized by crime because of fear and the perceived inability of Venezuela's criminal justice system to prevent crime. [102][103] A 2013 Gallup study showed that only 26% of Venezuelans have faith in their local police. In an interview with Prison Minister Iris Varela, the minister explained how all prisons were under her control and that there was no anarchy. [11] Crimes related to shortages and hunger increased shortly after with growing incidents of looting occurring throughout the country. Venezuela has a high crime rate. [19] The Chvez government banned private gun ownership in 2012[20][21] but overall crime rate has kept increasing since. While municipal police are tasked with responding to crimes, it is the national police that are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the cases. [120], Venezuela's judicial system has been ranked the third most corrupt in the world by Transparency International[129] and according to the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index 2021, Venezuela had the worst rule of law in the world; having the second worst civil justice system in the world and the worst criminal justice system in the world. The police allegedly collaborated with the robbers, receiving a cut of what they stole. [112][113] In 2014, former Miss Venezuela 2004 winner Monica Spear and her husband were murdered with her 5-year-old daughter being shot while visiting, and an elderly German tourist was murdered only a few weeks later. Millions of people have been pushed into poverty as a result of the country's years-long crisis. [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. [137] Over 40 inmates were killed and an unknown number of guards and inmates were wounded during a May 2020 incident at Los Llanos jail near the city of Guanare. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set [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). . Gunson reported that colectivos combat criminal gangs in neighborhoods and take over the previous gang's business in crime and also take over buildings already owned by individuals and collect rent from the owners. . Their 5-year-old daughter, Maya, suffered a bullet wound to the leg but survived. 10 Facts about Violence in Venezuela. Petty theft often ends in murder. Use Ask Statista Research Service. . The poverty rate in Venezuela is 82 percent, and the unemployment rate is 18 percent. Many people are victimized by crime because of fear and the perceived inability of Venezuela's criminal justice system to prevent crime. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. With a murder rate of 130 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, Caracas is generally considered the most dangerous city in Latin America, if not the world. Within the United States, crime rates vary between different states. [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. [5] This introduced to the Venezuelan population the notion of not following the societal rules and using violence to achieve goals, such as widespread looting during the Caracazo or by attempting to commit undemocratic coups such as in 1992. San Antonio Prison was controlled by El Conejo (The Rabbit), a powerful jailed drug trafficker who makes his "enforcers" patrol the prison. People avoid being out [126], In 2013, it was reported that Venezuela was one of the most weaponized areas in the world, with one firearm per two citizens. 08-01-2021 14:08:00 ZULU. 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". The mass release, however, quickly overwhelmed the capacity of police to maintain order. In a report . Coronil, F. (1988), World Prison Brief (n/d). A decades-old problem in Venezuela, armed robberies, kidnappings and murders climbed during the 1999-2013 rule of . Even the government's official statistics show that 1,050 kidnappings were reported this year through October - which is 23 times more than number recorded when Hugo Chvez was elected 13 years ago . [146], In May 2020, inmates rioted at the Llanos Penitentiary Center in Guanare, leading to 40 deaths. [52], Many kidnappings are not reported to police in Venezuela since they are not trusted. . 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. 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. Homicides decreased by 2% . "Homicide rate in Venezuela from 2014 to 2022 (in number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants)." [54] According to experts, kidnappings and torture by the Directorate of Military Counterintelligence increased during the 8-year tenure of Hugo Carvajal. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. Economic Indicators for Venezuela including actual values, historical data, and latest data updates for the Venezuela economy. [78], In the World Report 2014 by Human Rights Watch, the organization stated that "Venezuelan prisons are among the most violent in Latin America". In 2020, the country had a crime rate of 99.7 per 100,000 people. [109] 2014 Gallup polls showed that only 19% of Venezuelans felt safe walking alone at night, with nearly one quarter of the respondents stating that they or a household member had money stolen from them in the past year. Kidnapping is a particularly serious problem, with more than 1,000 reported during 2005 alone. The Venezuelan Observatory on Violence (VOV) reported a 14 percent increase in violent crimes from 2012 to 2013. Chart. [15] The murder rate declined even further to 60.3 in 2019. If you use our chart images on your site or blog, we ask that you provide attribution via a link back to this page. [4][12] Most crime in Venezuela remains unpunished according to Venezuela's Prosecutor General's Office, as 98% of crimes in Venezuela do not result in prosecution. 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Let's get into it. Show publisher information There is a high threat from violent crime and kidnapping throughout Venezuela, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world. According to a victimization survey conducted by Venezuela's National Institute of Statistics, in the year leading up to July 2009, 46 kidnappings took place every day in Venezuela, a much . When prosecutors investigated, they alleged that unsecured crime scenes, poor investigative techniques, and constantly changing or inexperienced personnel ensured that political and human rights abuse cases were delayed indefinitely or had a preordained result. 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. San Pedro Sula, in the northwest of the country, is at the center of much of this small Central American country's violence. 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. [91] As colectivos attempted to gain independence from the government, they began "controlling organized crime like drug trafficking in Caracas barrios". Many unaffiliated criminals are also increasingly involved in kidnappings, either dealing with victim's families directly or selling the victim to terrorist groups. [75][76][77], There was little history of organized crime in Venezuela until the start of the Bolivarian Revolution. Every Caracas neighborhood is susceptible to crime. The new statistics come from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), which released its mid-year 2022 crime report on Thursday, examining crime data from 29 cities. An overview of the Petare neighborhood of Caracas, which has one of the highest crime rates, July 29, 2015. United States of America. Venezuela: homicide rate 2020, by city. [133], By 2018 deep into the crisis in Bolivarian Venezuela, prisoners suffered from starvation and communicable diseases in addition to violence as a result of the mismanagement and overcrowding of prisons. In the year 2000, the rate was only 58 per 100,000 people. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low . 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. Murder rate: Homicide rate per year per 100,000 inhabitants in various countries. [117][104] The United Nations has stated that the Venezuelan government is lacking 20,000 investigative police. . 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. [5] Between the 1960s until the late-1980s, the murder rate stood between 8 and 10 homicides per 100,000. Venezuela is a limited democratic federal republic, and the legal system is based on a civil model largely influenced by historical European dominance. in a report issued this month placed the Venezuelan homicide rate at 58 per 100,000 for the year 2012, the most recent year calculated. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? Data prior to 2022 were retrieved from previous releases of the publication. [78] In 2013, the government negotiated with large criminal gangs on how to prevent violence and agreed to avoid policing gang territory in what were known as "peace zones", reinforcing criminal behaviors and making gang practices de facto law. 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. By comparison, the United States' current rate is about 4.7 deaths per 100,000. [144][145], In 2014, on average, Venezuelan prisons held 231% of their capacity, according to Alessio Bruni of the U.N. Committee against Torture. Is Venezuela poor? [131] In 2014, the UN called the state of the Venezuelan prison system "a tragedy". An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice. [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. Statisticians and police have openly stated that only 30-40% of all kidnappings get reported to the police. 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. [86][87] Amnesty International calls them "armed pro-government supporters who are tolerated or supported by the authorities". Honduras had 41.7 homicides per 100,000 people in 2017. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This left police across the country vastly out-gunned by narcotraffickers and other criminal groups. [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. According to the World Atlas, Venezuela has the highest crime rate globally. This was part of Chavez's efforts to show his concern for the poor and downtrodden of Venezuelan society. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is . The government each year lumps several thousands of deaths into these categories to lower the official homicide rate. [95] As blackouts continued, on 31 March, citizens protested the lack of electricity and water in Caracas and other cities; Maduro called again on the colectivos, asking them "to defend the peace of every barrio, of every block". [18] Sanjuan data from 2000 shows that in the capital city of Caracas, 92% of homicides are due to firearms and that 83% of homicide victims died near their homes, 55% in public altercations and 55% of the homicides occurred on the weekend. [105], Crime rates are higher in 'barrios' or 'ranchos' (slum areas)[106] and after dark. In 2019, the murder rate declined significantly to 60.3. 10. Reports of armed robberies continue to occur regularly, day or night, in the affluent Caracas residential sections of Chacao, Baruta and El Hatillo. According to Numbeo, Venezuela is the country with the highest crime rate which is 84.36. In 1990, 31,861 violent crimes, 184,126 property crimes, and 6,405 drug crimes were reported. In 2009, there were record levels of murders (nearly 1,500), robberies (3,000), and kidnappings (99) reported to the Police in Miranda. [7][8][9][10] By 2015, crime, which was often the topic Venezuelans worried about the most according to polls, was the second largest concern compared to shortages in Venezuela. This high crime rate is due to the high levels of poverty and violence in Venezuela. (February 8, 2023). [92] According to the International Crisis Group, colectivos may be involved in drug trafficking, arms dealing, and car theft. 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. A private organization, the Venezuelan Violence Observatory (OVV), puts the rate in 2015 at over 90 per 100,000 people. Police officers are authorized to use force, stop and apprehend suspects, and conduct searches and seizures. Venezuela crime rate & statistics for 2017 was 49.88, a 14.47% decline from 2016. Business Solutions including all features. [15] The U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security stated that there were 73 daily violent deaths in 2018. [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. Maracaibo, Venezuela. 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. When you have a functioning democracy and you have the opposition and the government in power, there's different solutions to problems; people debate, people discuss. [130][dead link], Venezuelan prisons are led by "pranes" or criminal bosses that operate while jailed. If you use our datasets on your site or blog, we ask that you provide attribution via a link back to this page. The country has one of the top five highest per capita murder rates in the world. . 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. . But even as crime climbs, the number of police battling criminals is falling. [34][35] Attorney General Luisa Ortega Daz stated to the United Nations that the rate was 62 per 100,000 for 2014, nearly twice as high as claimed in 2013. [39], In 2009, it was reported that Venezuelan authorities would assign judicial police to Caracas area morgues to speak with families. One prisoner explained how, If the guards mess with us, we shoot them and that he had "seen a man have his head cut off and people play football with it.[139], In a Journeyman Pictures documentary titled Venezuela - Party Prison, a reporter visits San Antonio Prison on Margarita Island. The short answer is yes, Venezuela is safe to visit. Venezuela's current population growth rate is in negatives, mostly due to negative net migration. Its murder rate is 41.2 homicides per 100,000 people, the fifth-highest in the world. All of this is done while driving the victim around the city for several hours. Venezuela ranks fourth in the world for cocaine seizures, behind Colombia, the United States, and Panama. Fauna crime is spurred by demand from the US, China and Europe. Home invasions involve large groups of heavily armed criminals who take over houses or apartment complexes, and rob the owners or all the occupants. The age of criminal responsibility is 18 years. The majority of crimes that dominate the environment in Caracas are express kidnappings, carjackings, robberies, and home invasions. Venezuela: homicide rate 2014-2022. [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. But drug interdiction efforts and law enforcement pressure . InSight Crime. [18] The Bolivarian Revolution attempted to "destroy what previously existed, the status quo of society" with instability increasing. [16], According to Sanjuan, 95% of Venezuela's homicide victims are men with 69% of them being between ages 15 and 34. [22], Venezuela is especially dangerous toward foreign travelers and investors who are visiting. [128] Colectivos stated to the Venezuelan government that they were not going to participate in the disarmament plan, stating that they were groups involved with the Bolivarian Revolution and that criminal gangs should instead be focused on. [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. The Observatory placed Venezuela's homicide rate for 2014 at 82 per 100,000, with a total of 24,980 killings recorded for the year. [79] According to InSight Crime, there are over a dozen mega-gangs in Venezuela, with some having up to 300 members. [40][41] The cover ups were possibly performed following an El Nacional cover story showing piles of corpses scattered throughout a morgue in Venezuela. Currently, you are using a shared account. [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. [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. [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 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. Edgardo Lander on Reality Asserts Itself (7/9)", "IACHR Reiterates Need to Prevent Acts of Violence in Venezuelan Prison", "Ria colectiva de Uribana cobra dos vidas y deja 128 heridos", "Coliseo en Uribana sigue y llega a 128 heridos", "Venezuela prison riot kills at least 40, including warden", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crime_in_Venezuela&oldid=1127469872, This page was last edited on 14 December 2022, at 22:16. The goal of Plan Patria Segura to disarm, prevent organized crime and drug enforcement. [1][2][3][4] [101] Many victims are afraid to report crimes to the police because most officers are involved with criminals and may bring even more harm to the victims. 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. We have provided a few examples below that you can copy and paste to your site: Your image export is now complete. "Homicide Rate in Venezuela from 2014 to 2022 (in Number of Homicides per 100,000 Inhabitants).