Crime and violence in Venezuela – statistics & facts
Between criminal gangs, non-state armed groups, and state-sponsored violence, Venezuela ranks as one of the most violent countries in Latin America according to the Global Peace Index. The situation for the South American country is not looking favorable, as the economic crisis continues to advance, poverty remains as one of the main problems, and the fear of violence remains strong among citizens. In fact, around 68 percent of Venezuelans reported that they changed their behavior of going out to places at certain times due to fear of crime and violence. Â
The presidential elections of 2024 presented yet another challenge for society. During the months prior to the ballots, the number of political violence offenses started to increase significantly until reaching its peak during July, the month of elections. This type of wrongdoing is commonly presented in threats, abuse of power, arrest warrants against the opposition, nevertheless, the most reported offense was kidnapping and forceful detentions.
The level of dissatisfaction was further elevated with the announcement of the official results by the National Electoral Council (CNE) without sufficient probe. While international organizations and governments demanded the publications of electoral records, protests in Venezuela broke out demanding electoral justice. Followed by state repression, the estimated number of deaths is over 24 people and more than 1,500 demonstrators have been incarcerated.
Why are homicides dropping? Â
As of 2023, Venezuela ranked as the second-highest homicide rate in South America, only behind Ecuador's rising rate, after topping the table for many years. Moreover, the number of intentional homicides has dropped significantly when compared to previous years. During the last decade, the highest number of this type of crime was in 2014 when approximately 19,000 killings were reported, while 2022 had the lowest with only 3,568 cases. Recent suggest that this is not a consequence of increased measures to prevent crime by the Venezuelan State. Rather, that criminal gangs, such as Tren de Aragua or Yeico Masacre, decided to expand their borders to other countries due to lacking economic conditions, which impacted the ability of criminal organizations to make money.. ÂCorruption, state-sponsored violence, and post-electoral repressionÂ
Latin America is no stranger to corruption, nonetheless, Venezuela's level is well above average, being first place, with the highest corruption perception index in the region and one of the worst globally. Corruption takes place from embezzlement of public funds to bribes and impunity and forms part of the everyday life of the residents. As a result, the level of confidence of people in authorities has only diminished overtime. During a 2023 survey, only around 36 percent of respondents thought that police protects them from crime and other forms of violence. ÂThe presidential elections of 2024 presented yet another challenge for society. During the months prior to the ballots, the number of political violence offenses started to increase significantly until reaching its peak during July, the month of elections. This type of wrongdoing is commonly presented in threats, abuse of power, arrest warrants against the opposition, nevertheless, the most reported offense was kidnapping and forceful detentions.
The level of dissatisfaction was further elevated with the announcement of the official results by the National Electoral Council (CNE) without sufficient probe. While international organizations and governments demanded the publications of electoral records, protests in Venezuela broke out demanding electoral justice. Followed by state repression, the estimated number of deaths is over 24 people and more than 1,500 demonstrators have been incarcerated.
