VenEconomy: The Venezuelan Government’s Tactic of Evading the Issue
From the Editors of VenEconomy
Latin American Herald Tribune
September 17, 2014

In order to hide the state of destruction of the economy and the debasement of society into which it has plunged Venezuela over the past 15 years, the Venezuelan government has always opted for the path of evading the issue or that of blaming others for its own misdeeds.

This tactic, used in different areas of national concern and to solve various problems, is made particularly evident by the absence of reliable information regarding the huge number of homicides throughout the national territory and showing much lower figures than those reported by independent agencies instead. Or when, underestimating the intelligence of Venezuelan citizens, government officials deliver opinions with no justifiable basis.

Among the latest inconsistencies on this topic are the statements of two of them a few days ago: Miguel Rodríguez Torres, the Minister of the Interior, and Luisa Ortega Díaz, the Attorney General. After not being able to ignore the fierce criminal acts overwhelming Venezuelans every day, or the levels of barbarism reached in the country with regard to criminality, both officials made separate statements completely beyond belief.

The first of them, by Rodríguez Torres, who in an attempt to safeguard the responsibility of the State as guarantor of the life of citizens, claimed that the barbarism of dismembering bodies of murdered people (16 cases have been reported in the last two months) is a “sinister modality imported from another country.” Rodríguez Torres argued that “local criminal gangs are mimicking the actions of their Colombian peers,” and that some of them were “crimes of passion,” while “three out of every four homicides are owed to clashes between rival gangs.” All arguments that may make people think that these motives are outside the powers of the State for guaranteeing the safety and lives of citizens.

Something that does not seem to conform to the country’s reality, according to criminal experts.

For example, Edgardo Buscaglia, an expert in drug-trafficking issues and professor at the Columbia University, when making reference to the situation in Venezuela in an interview published several days ago by the Miami-based newspaper El Nuevo Herald, said that “the capacity of the State to confront criminal networks such as those operating in the country has been crippled and therefore the damage caused is much more severe,” also assuring that this “weakness of the State” is what has made “criminal groups from Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala and other countries bring their operations to Venezuela.”

The second amazing statement came from Attorney General Luisa Ortega Díaz, who at a public safety meeting cited as main causes for the high insecurity levels the lack of decent homes, recreation and basic services for the population. In addition, she indicated that street lighting failures, garbage collection issues and the poor maintenance of public spaces are aspects that contribute to an “increase in insecurity.”

Are these statements a mea culpa from Ortega Díaz? Or did she suddenly forget that it is the Government and the political process she fully supports the responsible for not covering the needs of citizens in these vital areas today?

What Ortega Díaz is right about is that “alarms must be switched on” regarding the subject of citizen security, because “the peaceful coexistence and solidarity of the communities will be something almost impossible to achieve.” She is also right when saying that “it is noted with great concern the presence of a series of anti-values, reflected in the extreme and unusual violence of the latest criminal acts.”

But it should be noted that these anti-values have increased exponentially in Venezuela since that day her so-called “eternal commander” Hugo Chávez stated that he would steal if he had to feed a child of his own. Since then, it seems that insecurity and impunity are being used for the social and political control of the entire population.

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