Venezuela's leftist 'collectives' defy disarmament bid

Armed groups of supporters of Venezuela's late president Hugo Chavez have refused to take part in a government-sponsored disarmament effort aimed at combatting rampant crime, posing a delicate problem for his successor. "We are not criminal bands, we are revolutionary bands," said a statement put out Wednesday by representatives of 260 groups known as "collectives" that flourished under Chavez, who died last year of cancer after 14 years in power. More…