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Venezuela's murder rates surpass Colombia's under Hugo Chavez

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/31842...
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Home News World News South America VenezuelaVenezuela's murder rates surpass Colombia's under Hugo Chavez
Venezuela now has more murders than Colombia - despite its neighbour being officially at war against Marxist guerillas.

By Jeremy McDermott in Caracas
Last Updated: 8:39PM BST 12 Oct 2008

Chávez was elected President in 1998 Photo: AP
Venezuela now has more murders than Colombia - despite its neighbour being officially at war against Marxist guerillas.

Venezuela endures 48 murders for every 100,000 people each year. Britain, by contrast, has 2 per 100,000.

In Caracas the official rate is 130 per 100,000, a number which the Investigative Institute of Co-existence and Citizen Security, a think thank dedicated to the study of crime, insists is closer to 166, making Caracas twice as dangerous as Cape Town.

It is not just murders that are on the increase, but kidnappings as well. In 1998, when President Hugo Chavez took power, there were 50 registered kidnappings per year. Last year there were 382 registered, though experts believe the majority of abductions go unreported.

Many kidnappings occur along the border with Colombia, once the kidnap capital of the world. Many of those kidnapped in the border area are believed held by Colombian rebels, for whom Mr Chavez has expressed support.

Venezuela has also become the principal transit nation for cocaine heading towards Europe. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimates that in excess of 200 tons a year passes through Venezuela, some flown through the Caribbean into the US, but the majority heading to Europe, often via West Africa.

The government has sought to deflect blame for crime increases, suggesting that Washington is working with Colombia to finance paramilitary groups intent on killing Mr Chavez and overthrowing his government.

-surpass-Colombias-under-Hugo-Chavez.html

By mariacvetanoski on Oct 13, 2008, 06:37 in Politics & the war.

mariacvetanoski says on Oct 13, 2008, 06:38:

Many kidnappings occur along the border with Colombia, once the kidnap capital of the world. Many of those kidnapped in the border area are believed held by Colombian rebels, for whom Mr Chavez has expressed support.

is he still harboring them??

Save the street children of Colombia Now!!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Simon says on Oct 13, 2008, 15:40:

Yippppyyyy!! This is great news for Colombia!!

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

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cali373 says on Oct 17, 2008, 09:25:

Can´t see the goodness in this at all considering that Venezuela is a neighboring sister country and the violence is increased by colombian cocaine.

Colombian security has greatly improved but this does not mean that we should let our guard down. Violence is still the number one issue after economy in colombia. I just met a sweet lady in Boston from Manizales and she was in self imposed exile because she got scared for her life. Her son was killed by a sciario and it is suspected that it had to do with the fact that the son was speaking out against and would not support corruption in the manizales government, which he worked for. It had nothing to do with the FARC.

Smile if you are a thinker!

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