Military and Police Corruption: Venezuela's Growing Evil

The people entrusted with enforcing the law in Venezuela regularly make the headlines as suspects or alleged accomplices, facilitators or perpetrators of serious crimes, a sign of the advanced deterioration and corruption of the country’s security forces. Corrupt officials -- especially police and military -- play an essential role in the penetration and growth of organized crime in Venezuela, which is reflected in alarming crime statistics. The cases have ranged from officers of the Bolivarian Armed Forces accused of transporting drug shipments in military vehicles, facilitating the passage of drug planes or managing gasoline smuggling to Colombia. Even the recently named Interior minister has been accused by the United States of facilitating drug shipments when he was head of the country’s anti-narcotics effort, a charge he denies. More…