Venezuelan government: sluggish in crime prevention programs

Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The Pan American Health Organization and the Inter American Development Bank (IADB) place Venezuela among the top three places in its Latin America crime ratings table.

Venezuela is singled out this year not just because of the notable hike in crime rates but more so for the government’s passivity in setting up crime prevention policies. The report contrasts Venezuela with the efforts other countries have put into prevention measures aimed at lowering or controlling their crime rates.

Peru, for example has adopted a street and abandoned children policy, Colombia has its Carrot Plan cutting down on opening and closing times of nightclubs and bars. Venezuela has had 5 Interior & Justice Ministers in two years, more than 9,000 citizens were murdered last year and the authorities prefer to keep the matter of crime prevention under wraps.