Venezuela: From Guns to Grenades

The unleashing of criminal activities in Venezuela was a strategy that Hugo Chavez used allowing the so called “Colectivos”, a group of criminals on motorcycles paid by the Chavez regime to tantalize and terrorize the Venezuelan people in the name of the Bolivarian Revolution.

Chavez armed those criminals first with Automatic weapons and Machine guns. Although Chavez is no longer around, Maduro, his successor has continued this policy of doing nothing against crime in Venezuela. Today the criminals use grenades to commit their crimes against police and citizens alike.

The number of people blown up is mounting in Venezuela, a country that "in 2014 has over 25,000 deaths resulting from the unbridled delinquency" supported directly or indirectly by the government.

The US State Department issued following warnings for Americans traveling to Venezuela “Violent crime is a serious problem, and the capital city of Caracas has one of the highest per capita homicide rates in the world. Kidnappings, assaults, and robberies occur throughout the country; no areas are safe.”

According to a Venezuelan source, the increased use of grenades is due to the fact that the grenades are small, compact and easy to conceal. They are easier to hide that an AK-47, but they are just as destructive and so far they have claimed many lives.  In the past two years, Venezuela has had more death caused by grenades that in any Latin American country. The criminals are seeking to establish control over territories, and because of the police presence is either weak or non-existent, they are able to operate freely.

Today is easier to buy grenades than food in Venezuela. The government controls the purchase of food which forces people to be in very long lines. It has done very little, or nothing, to control the proliferation of guns and grenades in Venezuela, leaving the people in a state of panic. The outcome is clear: large bands of criminals. There are about 10 criminal groups operating in different parts of the country. The criminals are determined and prepared to fight against the escalating resistance and pressure that the citizens are putting on the country’s security forces to fight the kidnapping, extortion, and murder rings operating in the country.

What started as a Chavez/Maduro regime tactic to terrorize the Venezuelan citizens has backfired, creating an uncontrollable situation that not even the government is able to contain. This “”Bolivarian Revolution” has not only weaken the economy of Venezuela, dismantled the infrastructure, and created rampant unrest, has also created one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

Venezuela in Crisis

Venezuela is the country of the unthinkable. A mother is told by a hospital in Caracas, after her baby had heart surgery, to find pain medicine on her own because the hospital has no more medical supply left.  People are desperate to find food and medicines, white the regime continues mismanaging the country;s resources.

More Abuses from SEBIN, Maduro’s Repressive Police

A year ago, sound engineer Pablo Estrada Izaguirre was detained and imprisoned by the SEBIN, the Bolivarian Intelligence Service. Since his arrest, he has been in a jail known as “La Tumba”  (the Coffin), located in Caracas, leaving behind his girlfriend and newborn baby. In this jail, horrific acts of human rights violations are committed daily against the prisoners, who are mostly activists thrown in tiny cells in extremely cold temperatures and deprived of sun for many months.

The sad part of Pablo Estrada Izaguirre’s story is that, according to his lawyer, he has never engaged in political activities. This 37-year old man was detained in an arbitrary and oppressive manner by the Maduro regime last year, in reaction to the student protests against the regime that had spread throughout the country. The protests were due to the lack of security that exists in the country, in addition to high unemployment and long lines to purchase basic products.

Izaguirre suffers a very serious illness. Before his arrest, he was being treated for disseminated tuberculosis, “a contagious bacterial infection in which the tuberculosis bacteria spread from the lungs to other parts of the body through the blood. “

Pablo Estrada Izaguirre requires treatment and according with his lawyer the SEBIN has no access to this type of medical care, nor is it allowing doctors to provide related medical services to this man.

Pablo's condition continues to deteriorate without any hope for his release in sight. Once again, the Maduro regime will have blood on its hands if something happens to Pablo. 

International Pressure Against Maduro to stop his Killing Machine

Violence has increased in Venezuela under the Nicolas Maduro's watch.  Maduro has demonstrated a blatant disregard for human rights, particularly against students and political leaders since he took office in 2014. Last week Antonio Ledezma, the Mayor of Caracas was arrested, and  Opposition leader Jorge Borges is “under investigation.”

This past Tuesday, a 14-year-old high school student from San Cristobal was shot in the head at point blank range when he was protesting. This style of murdering dissidents is becoming common in Venezuela. Last week we heard the senseless killing of three university students who were in police custody. They were found tortured to death.  The list of human right violations goes on and on with no end in sight.  The Maduro regime and his clan are very aware  that the Venezuelan problems of food shortage and lack of productivity are not going  away.  Protesters in Venezuela have emerged since last February against the regime’s inability to perform its duties.  Nicolas Maduro is again focusing his attention on oppression and human rights violations instead of solving the immediate economic crisis.

This past January, General Vladimir Padrino López, passed a resolution which gives  license to  police to murder students who protest.  This mandate supports the use of firearms and other weapons against “immediate aggressions” according with the Minister. 

International Pressure Against Maduro to stop his  Killing Machine 

The subsequent abuses of power in Venezuela has prompted international outrage. This past Wednesday the US Secretary of State John Kerry accused Maduro regime of  "egregious behavior" and promised  to expedite  the implementation of recent sanctions to those members of his cabinet that have committed human right violations. These sanctions are crucial, but in addition to the sanctions, international pressure must also  come from the UN, the OAE,  the European Communities, and all the democratic Latin American nations.

This is to stop  the Nicolas Maduro killing rampage and hopefully force him out of office through democratic means. 

It is interesting to note that the students today who are protesting this violent and oppressive regime only know Chavismo as a way of government. They have no other point of reference.

When Chavez came to power in 1999, most of the students where either toddlers or were just entering elementary school.  These young people only have known the Chavez Socialism of the XXI Century , a failing political ideology, hybrid from the collapsing  Cuban  political system under the Castro brothers, who are still holding  power after 56 years.
Maduro will not last that long. The protests will continue. Maduro will go,  but the question is,  how much more  damage will he cause on his way out.

Venezuela, a Terrorized Nation

The recent arrest of  Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma is an indication of how nervous the Maduro government is getting. The regime's paranoia has caused the people of Venezuela to live under terrorized conditions, not knowing what lies ahead for them.

This past week, Mayor Ledezma was forced out of his office and taken into custody by SEBIN, Maduro's Political Police. Mr. Ledezma is accused of plotting a coup with the United States to topple the current socialist government. This arrest is another example of the oppressive actions that are an attempt to create a distraction for Maduro's lack of leadership in solving the Venezuelan's immediate problems.

Maduro’s problems started last year.  Angry protests erupted after the senseless murder of the actress and model Monica Spear and her husband. Spear's murder, followed  by a rape attempt to a female University student, further infuriated students who took to the streets to protest the enormous insecurity problems that face the country.

The protests grew across the country, leaving over 50 students dead and  hundreds incarcerated.  In support of the students,  Leopoldo Lopez called for peaceful protests. This prompted the Maduro regime to exercise its dictatorship role, arresting Leopoldo Lopez in February. A year later,  Leopoldo Lopez remains Maduro's prisoner, now joined by Mr. Ledezma.

The fate of other Venezuelans with less notoriety is even worse. A few days ago

two students in police custody were found tortured to death. There is no explanation  for this heinous crime.

Maduro is using the same script that Chavez used, accusing the United States of attempting to overthrow him. Wouldn’t it be nice if Maduro’s fantasy - that the United States is trying to topple his government - comes to reality?