The most criminal city in Honduras. Caracas

Our world is a vast expanse with a huge number of interesting countries and friendly cities that you can constantly explore. The list of such places is endless: from the turquoise harbors of Monte Carlo to the silent deserts of Australia.

Along with the beautiful places that one would like to visit around the world, there are those that, frankly, are not made for friendly tourist visits. Countries such as Colombia, South Africa and Mexico may sound beautiful in theory, but in reality they are full of drug cartels, saturated with mass violence, political turmoil, terrorist activities flourish in them, and the development of these countries is associated with serious socio-economic problems.

15. Cali, Colombia - Cartel Haven

Cali's reputation ranges from being the most dangerous city in the world to being the second most dangerous, depending on whether Colombia has a good or bad year. Due to the dominance of drug cartels that keep the entire area at bay, as well as the presence of corrupt rebel groups, crime in Cali has infiltrated the entire city.

Based on the latest available statistics, Cali has a reported homicide rate of 83 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Tourist warning: Cali, like Colombia in general, may seem like a beautiful butterfly, which, in turn, will sting like a thousand bees until you die.

14. San Salvador, El Salvador - more than 2,000 murders in 2015

San Salvador is the capital of El Salvador, a small country in Central America. With a population of around 570,000, statistics show that there are 45 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. In fact, 2,200 people were killed in the first half of the year alone. It's actually scary!

The city is ruled by powerful influential gangs such as MS-13 and District 18, it is the endless hostility between them that is the source of the crimes committed. Violence is second nature in this city; a huge number of civilians are caught in the crossfire of warring factions.

In addition, these gangs are not very well organized, like, for example, the yakuza or the mafia, so the main source of income is robbery and extortion. So when you visit this place, you will not only be killed, but also lose every last penny before you hit the ground.

13. Karachi, Pakistan - the most dangerous capital

Karachi is the capital of the province of Sindh, the largest city in Pakistan and the second most populous city in the world. This city is rated as one of the most dangerous places to visit if you are in Pakistan.

Political instability and endless conflicts between warring foreign and indigenous terrorist groups abound in Karachi. Along with beautiful tourist attractions and snow-white beaches, robberies, kidnappings, terrorism, murders are sure to be met, and murders are daily.

According to the latest statistics, the homicide rate per 100,000 people dropped in 2015. And yet, Karachi is the most dangerous giant city in the world and is the only capital city worth missing when traveling.

12. Detroit, USA - the most dangerous city in America

In 1987, RoboCop portrayed the futuristic Detroit as a dilapidated city dominated by crime and completely lacking in law enforcement. Aside from the humanoid cyborgs and robots, the producers certainly didn't expect Detroit's pictures to be so real. Named the most dangerous city in America in 2013 and 2014 (despite a decrease in crime), Detroit is definitely not the city to visit.

11. Sanaa, Yemen - the most unstable city

Nowadays, almost no news release is complete without a mention of Yemen. Because Yemen, Sana'a in particular, are the most dangerous places to live in the world. The political situation in Sana'a has been incredibly volatile since the destabilization of the government in 2012. This led to a deterioration in the standard of living and a massive surge in crime.

Endless explosions, murders and sudden acts of terrorism mixed with daily robberies, murders and other petty crimes. Widespread power outages, fresh water, and vital supplies are all contributing to the city's slow decline.

10. Mogadishu, Somalia - a land without a government

Over the past few years, Somalia has been associated mainly with pirates, crime and Tom Hanks. The danger in Somalia is perhaps best illustrated by its capital, Mogadishu, or, as some have called it, the most dangerous city on Earth.

Since the embassy and the UN pulled Somalia out of political crisis in the 1990s, there has been no effective government in Mogadishu, resulting in a brutal civil war. An al-Qaeda group called al-Shabaab managed to establish some sort of power in the 2000s, but more recently they have been supplanted by African Union militants.

With corruption, poverty, crime, violence and bombings, Mogadishu is in the spotlight almost every day, this city has certainly earned a long-standing reputation as one of the most dangerous cities on Earth.

9 Ciudad Juarez, Mexico - Murder Capital

Ciudad Juarez has a rather dubious reputation for drug trafficking and a safe haven, and is one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico. Called by some The killer capital of the world”, and also known as the unofficial capital of all drug-related activities in Mexico, Ciudad Juarez is the place where drug traffickers are in power (no wonder).

How the city is extremely dangerous and lawless: drug crimes, violence, murders are very common. Even the police are powerless because most law enforcement agencies are bribed by drug gangs. From a high of 8 homicides a day in 2010 to 530 homicides in 2013 and 434 in 2014," killer capital of the world is slowly getting better. But very slowly.

8. Baghdad, Iraq - victims of ISIS / ISIS (Islamic terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)

Ever since the US invaded Baghdad, the city has gained a reputation as one of the most dangerous cities on Earth. Over the years, bombings, shootings and killings have become a grain for all the inhabitants of Baghdad. After many years of war, the infrastructure and economy of the city were almost destroyed. And ever since the US military has left the territory, the war-torn city has struggled to survive, but random acts of crime and terrorism still occur.

So far, the situation in Baghdad is not as dire as it once was, in 2014, 12,282 civilians were killed due to ISIS activity. And it seems that while one danger recedes, a new one is already arriving in its place.

7. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is the heist capital of the world

Despite numerous other cities in Brazil with huge homicide rates, Rio de Janeiro is still a tourist city and also the second largest in Brazil, making it a mature crime hub. The murder rate in Rio has decreased in recent years from 42 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005 to 24.

You are now less likely to get killed, but more likely to be robbed. The number of street crimes, robberies and muggings actually increased from 6,626 in December 2013 to 7,849 in December 2014, and the number of stolen mobile phones increased by 74.5% over the same period.

6. Cape Town, South Africa - the most violent city in Africa

Cape Town is the capital of the Western Cape province and the second most populous city in South Africa. Despite being one of the most beautiful places in the world, it is one of the most dangerous. Cape Town has the worst crime rate per 100,000 inhabitants at 8,428. This is just crazy, considering that the population of the city is 3.75 million people.

With an incredible homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants, Cape Town could become the most violent city on the continent as well. Due to socio-economic inequality between classes, the number of showdowns between gangs, murders, robberies, rapes, kidnappings is steadily growing - all this together is a standard set for a wonderful city. Therefore, once in Cape Town, make sure that you do not deviate from the tourist route.

5. Guatemala, Guatemala City of Violence

Guatemala is one of the most beautiful cities in Central America, but along with many attractions and beautiful countryside, the city has serious problems with drugs and crime. Given that Guatemala shares borders with Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador, drugs play a major role in the life of the country.

In the combination of great differences between socio-economic classes, extreme poverty and a large circulation of weapons, Guatemala is simply a paradise for drugs and the development of crime: murders, robberies, assaults, kidnappings and car thefts. In fact, the city has one of the highest rates of violent crime in Central America, at 42 per 100,000 inhabitants.

With attempts to enforce city life that are simply useless along with rampant corruption and the threat of organized gangs, Guatemala should not be visited by everyone.

4. Kabul, Afghanistan - a city on fire

In many ways, the situation is similar to Baghdad, when hell broke into Afghanistan with the advent of the United States. Kabul, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is caught in a shootout and has become one of the world's most dangerous cities in the past decade.

Economic instability and poverty reign here, which lead to kidnappings, murders and other petty crimes. Political instability leads to constant struggle for power, violence and terrorist attacks. A number of factions are fighting in Afghanistan, only exacerbating all the aforementioned problems and making the city even more dangerous.

Last but not least, while the US has minimized its presence in Afghanistan, the rise of ISIS is raising fears that more violence and instability could hit the city.

3 Caracas, Venezuela - street violence

Caracas is known for three things: the capital of Venezuela, murder and drugs. Venezuela is simply mired in economic instability, and street violence and gangs have taken over Caracas.

Caracas has a horrendous homicide rate of 134 per 100,000 inhabitants, most of which remain unsolved. More depressing is the fact that Venezuela had a homicide rate of 24,000 in 2014 when you consider that Caracas has a population of 3.5 million.

With the increasing number of armed gang fights that have spilled onto the streets of Caracas, crime is like a free game in the city. Common crimes such as robberies, murders, rapes, kidnappings are just the tip of the iceberg which is a reason to stay away from Caracas.

2 Acapulco, Mexico - Law Enforcement Corruption

Acapulco has been a luxury beachfront destination for movie stars, celebrities and sporting events for years. But it is worth taking “one step” from the tourist area, as you will immediately find yourself in the center of the most dangerous city in Mexico. Not too long ago, Acapulco was on every tourist's bucket list, but in recent years, the city has consistently recorded the highest homicide rate for Mexico.

In 2014, the murder rate was simply shocking - 104 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. The local police are so corrupt that they simply demand money from the population, while completely disregarding the laws. And of course there is the drug problem. Drug dealing and violence are the main issues in Acapulco, the terrible thing is that it is not uncommon to see corpses on the street after a showdown over drugs.

If tourists manage to escape from corrupt cops or drugs, they will have to endure the usual dose of murders, robberies and kidnappings that are also on the list.

1. San Pedro Sula, Honduras is the most dangerous city in the world

Consistently ranked as the number one most dangerous city in the world, San Pedro Sula guarantees death and taxes. Located in the northwest of Honduras, San Pedro Sula is the most dangerous city in the most dangerous country on Earth. In 2014, the homicide rate was a staggering 171 deaths per 100,000 people. This is the highest per capita death rate for a non-war city, with roughly 3 deaths a day!

The city is saturated with drug trafficking, illegal arms trafficking, dismantling of ruling gangs and endless murders. And no one takes any action when violence spills out onto the streets of the city. For civilians, it is depressing that their safety is the last thing on anyone's mind, because the city is effectively run by drug cartels, and the implementation of law enforcement in San Pedro Sula is simply futile.

From this example, one can understand that political instability, corruption and poverty are not the worst that can happen.

10 most criminal cities in the world. Look to know which city can steal your wallet before you even get off the plane

Today Venezuela is all about queues and wild crime. After the death of Hugo Chavez, the situation changed dramatically for the worse. The crime rate has risen. Now you can’t just walk around the city with appliances, jewelry, and even good watches. In terms of the number of deliberate murders, Venezuela used to be in the first lines of all ratings, but today it claims to be in first place. In the first 3 months of 2016, the number of murders in Venezuela increased by 47% compared to the same period in 2014. The number of kidnappings increased immediately by 170%. And these are just the statistics of third-party observers. What passes by her, one can only guess.

Due to a lack of money, the current President Maduro has reduced the cost of the police (now there are almost none), and gangs are operating in different parts of the city. There are very few safe areas. They can rob and kill in the city center, in the subway, in the park - and anywhere. Somehow, the authorities control several blocks in the center, where government buildings are located, and blocks in wealthy areas. But the police (as well as the National Guard) have not been trusted for a long time. The attitude towards the army has also changed a lot. Previously, there was always respect, but after the events of 2014, everyone considers them executioners, they went against the people. Any wealthy Venezuelan has a bodyguard.

There is no scarier creature than a "motorisado" or "choro" - a bandit on a motorcycle (at one time, Bera motorcycles were sold cheaply under a preferential program). For any Venezuelan, the most terrifying sound is the sound of a motorcycle returning. On motorcycles, it is easy to surround the car you like in order to steal it or simply rob the driver and passengers. A motorcycle taxi driver may well deliver customers during the day, and rob and kill at night.

Motorcyclists are really dangerous: at best, they can steal something from you, as in other Latin American countries, at worst, they can shoot you.

In the slums, "barrios", even the locals do not meddle - it's dangerous, any stranger there is studied for "what to take." It is believed that the homeland of the punks, "malandros", is the state of Vargas (this is where the Caracas airport is), but after the landslide that came down in 1999, when a huge number of residential buildings were destroyed, many local residents were settled in other states and thus spread throughout Venezuela. But this is one version.

The truth is that Chavez's policy was aimed at pandering to the lower strata of society: they were given houses, monthly allowances, cars, and so on. All to get votes in elections and popular support. Thus, it was not necessary to work: everything for life will be given anyway, and you can earn additional income by robbing people. In the last couple of years, the oil needle that Chavez was based on has failed, oil has fallen in price, and the country has become short of money. The result of such a policy was a shortage of essential products, in fact, famine. As a direct consequence of this, crime increased. No job will bring as much money as criminal activity.

Kidnapping has become one of the most popular types of this very activity. It can be a kidnapping express, a "carousel", when criminals simply drive around the city and collect well-dressed people in the trunk of an SUV and then ask for a ransom on the principle "And who is your dad? Well, he will give 10 thousand dollars." Or planned kidnapping: a person is studied what he has, where he lives, where he works, what kind of relatives he has ... The amount of the ransom can be 100-200 thousand dollars. I have a friend who was kidnapped. It was a long time ago, really. They confused him with his cousin, kept him blindfolded for a week, in the end they said they would kill him, took him out in a car, pushed him out into the street and shot him in the air. Now, as a rule, they do not leave alive ...

Hunger makes people more aggressive. Now they kill for the phone (they stole my phone, but asked for a ransom; where is that poor blocked iPhone now ...), for a watch, for a package of groceries, for good shoes. I personally was robbed in Venezuela twice: the first time the phone was out of the car, the second - a bag at the entrance to the hotel, but both times in secret and without weapons (the first was clearly on a tip). A friend was robbed with a gun twice. Once they were having lunch with a group in a restaurant - armed men came in and took all the phones from the table. The second time he very wisely went for a walk at night in a resort village with a bag in which there were 30,000 bolivars (then it was still money). The notorious motorisados ​​drove up, took off the bag, threatening with a gun - it’s good that they didn’t kill (but they could).

The current crime situation is such that people are afraid. They are afraid to have nice things, to dress well, to drive a nice car (it's difficult with cars, but that's another story). Go outside with a good watch, phone, gold chain: life threatening. I remember how in the small village where we lived, our driver from the locals approached me and warned that one young man should put away his Samsung watch (which is a smart watch, or something), because the hotel workers had already blabbed all over the village that he has them (the same village where my iPhone was stolen). It is very dangerous to drive a car outside the city at night, it is deadly if the car breaks down. The modus operandi of modern robbers is to throw a stone or a branch onto the track, make a fire to make the car stop. The most dangerous in this regard is the motorway Puerto Cabello - Valencia (it was there that Miss Venezuela Monica Speer was killed).

I see the main problem in the fact that human life does not matter to the criminal. Shooting a person is not a problem at all. Old man, woman, child. I'm not even talking about men. The first rule for the victim in any robbery is not to resist: then, perhaps, they will let them live. Criminals are not shy of passers-by, cameras, daylight. It seems that the youth from the lower strata of society sees some kind of romance in this. There are memes on the Internet on the topic "You have a motorcycle and a gun - all the chicks love you." This is easy money, easy money, impunity. The penitentiary system is also terrible. As far as I understand, the prisoners themselves rule inside the prisons, there are not even guards there, so they perceive the prison as an opportunity to lie low for a while and rest (this does not apply to political prisoners).

This police post was bombarded with grenades a couple of weeks ago.

Now the situation in the country is such that it is also dangerous to work as a policeman. They began to kill policemen, and not only in the service, as a result of resistance, but simply to rob. Recently, a police officer was killed in front of his children in order to take a bicycle.

Sometimes bandits raid police posts. While the authorities are trying to investigate the attack in a panic, even less attention is paid to ordinary robbers, and they can continue to engage in a bloody gop-stop. This year alone, and only in Greater Caracas, 104 security officials (policemen and guardsmen) were killed.

Police with flasks on their backs. The main task of the police now is to control the queues to the shops so that there is no looting, and also to guard the rallies. More power is not enough.

A policeman rides a motorcycle with a wad of money. There are only a few dollars in this pack. But even this picture is not very typical for Caracas.

Any building should be behind a high fence, whoever is richer also makes an electric fence on top. Who is poorer - broken glass and barbed wire. There are always bars on the upper floors of houses so that robbers do not climb from the roof.

The usual entrance of an ordinary house where the local "middle class" lives. Everywhere there are gratings, chambers and live wires.

This is how an ordinary residential building looks like: everything is also in bars, light around the perimeter, barbed wire...

US embassy fence

Russian embassy fence

The embassy itself.

At the entrance to each establishment, a menu with prices must be hung, as well as warning signs: you can’t enter with weapons and you can’t smoke.

Such signs should also be in public buildings in the most prominent place. For example, this is the wall behind the reception desk in my hotel.

Even in a restaurant, signs should hang in every room!

Behind the scenes) A ​​strange law.

Chavez speaks from every corner.

The center is quite clean, given the general poverty and the collapsed economy.

It is almost impossible to get on the train during rush hour.

People skip 5 trains to get into the car.

Inside is a crush.

Subway entrance.

A simple metro ticket costs 4 bolivars, something like 25 kopecks. A round-trip trip combined with a bus - 12 bolivars (75 kopecks). Ticket for 10 trips - 2 rubles 25 kopecks, for 40 trips - 9 rubles. Why so cheap? First, it's all about the unofficial rate of the bolivar. For 1 dollar on the black market, you can buy 1000 bolivars. The official exchange rate within the country is one and a half times higher, and they generally try to sell 1 bolivar to foreigners for 10 cents. 100 times difference! That is, if the Venezuelan economy worked normally, a metro ride would cost 25 rubles. And do not forget that the prices of a number of goods and services are trying to regulate the state. Therefore, the subway is almost free.

Huge queues for ground transportation. Large buses run between districts.

Minibuses run in a specific area.

Think gasoline is free. Is it good or is it bad?

Coffee is sold on the street.

book collapse

In order to somehow earn money, people sell everything in general.

Yoga in the center

Today, the main goal of any Venezuelan is to get something. They get bread, milk, medicines. In free sale there are no essential goods at all. You can't even buy soap and milk. Therefore, everyone walks the streets with packages and asks each other where they "threw" something.

The main differences from fraternal Cuba:

There is civilization in Venezuela! There is a normal Internet, there are good restaurants and hotels. Caracas has McDonald's and other international fast food. Here you can easily buy expensive alcohol, imported food, rent a good car. But Cuba is calm and safe. And in Venezuela, taking advantage of wealth is not so easy.

The fact that Caracas is one of the most criminogenic and dangerous cities in the world is no secret to anyone. One of the features of this city is that it is already dark here at seven o'clock in the evening and by this time the entire local population is striving to get home, as it is dangerous to be on the streets. In the city, daytime is dangerous, and at night crime simply overwhelms Caracas. This situation is connected with the low standard of living of the local population, which mostly lives in favela barracks. This is a housing that is constructed from improvised materials, which are most often found in a landfill. The city is conditionally divided into two parts. The first part is normal, where people live in acceptable conditions, and the second is unofficially called the "kingdom of the poor", where there is no electricity, running water, or even basic living conditions. Tourists are strongly advised to refrain from visiting such areas, as they can be robbed, beaten and even killed there.

Wealthy residents of Caracas live in areas that are surrounded by high fences with barbed wire, which is under voltage. Towers are also installed in such areas, there are guards with weapons. But it must be said that no more than 10% of the population of Caracas lives in such privileged conditions.

Troubles can await tourists at every step, many local groups hunt foreigners not only to rob them, but also for the purpose of kidnapping (for a ransom in the future). Tourists are strongly advised not to carry large sums of money, original documents (copies will be enough), and not to wear jewelry - do not attract criminals once again.

Right on the streets of Caracas and many other Venezuelan cities, you can see people who openly sell drugs and weapons, while the police in most cases turn a blind eye to this.

As a result, it turns out that you should not walk around Caracas after sunset, use the services of exclusively official taxis (even if the fare is somewhat more expensive). Under no circumstances should you leave your belongings unattended. And one more very interesting point - if you are robbed, then you should not resist, because in case of resistance you can lose your life.

1.

Caracas is said to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Innocent victims are killed here right on the streets, and even more so, God forbid you appear in the crowd with a camera or any other thing that betrays your solvency, a thing in your hands. In the city, 40 people are killed daily, many of them foreigners. And how many are simply robbed, it is not possible to count.

Such intimidation on the part of the travel company and guides did not add optimism to our visit to Caracas, but warmed up the interest. Therefore, at the first opportunity, we checked all this on our own skin. And here's what we found out.

At first, of course, we were afraid to stick our nose out of the bus and the hotel. But after talking with a representative (more precisely, with a representative) of the host, it turned out that the rumors about the danger of Caracas were overly exaggerated. A 14-year-old Russian girl meeting us at the airport said that she had been living in Caracas with her mother for 3 years already, and she was walking the streets alone.

But! You need to know where, when and in what form you can appear, where it is undesirable, and where it is simply dangerous. Caracas consists of several areas - from real slums to European areas with luxurious villas. If you go to poor areas, and even in good clothes, and even more so, with photographic equipment, you can really get hit in the face and literally stay in your shorts. They are unlikely to kill, but you will not get into trouble.

At the same time, in rich areas, you can be almost with a 100% security guarantee in any form and with any equipment. Even at night, although it is undesirable at night. It is also undesirable (although in principle it is possible) to shine and shine jewelry, equipment, etc. in areas where the middle class lives. By the way, there are few such areas in Caracas - the middle class stratum is only 10-15% of the population. The rest are either very poor or very rich. Of course, there are much more poor, respectively, and dumb districts too.

Therefore, basic precautions must be observed. But if you are accompanied by a local guide who knows the local nuances, then you can consider yourself almost safe. Also, you should take into account that information from local guides and tour company managers located somewhere in Russia (or another country) may differ. If you are going to be bullied by people outside of Caracas, it makes sense to take this information with a grain of salt. Although with caution. If you want to learn more about security, look for people on site.

As a result, we walked around Caracas even at night. It was a little uncomfortable, but we understood that we were in a normal area. There were no excesses, although we behaved rather cheekily. In the daytime, we were driven more and more, and more and more to tourist places, so there are few pictures, and they are without any artistic pretensions. Just sketches.

Well, in other cities of Venezuela, this problem can be considered not at all. Although ... if anyone is interested, I can give detailed instructions on how to get hit in the head and lose money, jewelry and photographic equipment, for example, in Moscow or St. Petersburg :)

Other materials from travels to Venezuela and Little Tibet on the project "Two drops. Journey for water" can be found on the company blog "Two Sticks".

Caracas is the capital of Venezuela. A little over 3 million people live in the city. Venezuela itself is one of the richest countries in the world, as it ranks third in the world in terms of oil exports. However, the people of this country have never lived richly due to high corruption and a handful of rich people who appropriate all the proceeds from the sale of oil.

Former President Hugo Chavez tried to turn the tide. He nationalized natural resources, reined in the rich, and forced the national oil corporations to pay 84% of their profits to the state treasury, compared to the previous 35%. With the proceeds, free hospitals, schools, universities were opened in the country, state factories and combines were built.

An example of concern for ordinary people is the fact that refueling a full tank of a car at any gas station in Venezuela costs less than $ 1. This is not surprising, since the president himself was distinguished by complete disinterestedness. He transferred his salary to one of the universities for a scholarship to students, and lived only on a military pension.

In general, Hugo Chavez markedly raised the standard of living in the country. There is no doubt about this. However, he failed to overcome crime. Here, for example, we can consider crime in Caracas, where the criminal environment is extremely numerous. But in order to understand the origins of the criminalization of society, you need to briefly familiarize yourself with the history of the state.

Venezuela was discovered in 1498 by Christopher Columbus. He was fascinated by the nature of these places, and after a while the Spaniards discovered a beautiful green valley in the mountains. They founded a settlement in it, which eventually turned into the city of Caracas, located 15 km from the sea.

In the 18th century, immigrants from Spain began to make huge profits from the coffee and cocoa trade. But blacks, Creoles and mestizos did not get rich. Therefore, the country was shaken by military coups and revolutions for 2 centuries. But as a result of this, the rich became even richer, and the poor became poorer. By the end of the 20th century, the gap between these two strata of the population had reached catastrophic proportions. The most obvious stratification between the poor and the rich manifested itself in Caracas.

The modern prosperous urban center was surrounded by areas of poor neighborhoods. They don't have any power. The poor do not pay taxes and do not pay for utilities. The police do not appear on the streets of such areas, and they are a breeding ground for crime. It is here that gangs arise that terrorize the capital.

Representatives of gangs hunt mainly in wealthy areas. Therefore, they can rob and beat you right a few steps from a fashionable hotel that has its own armed guards.

Hugo Chavez often said in his speeches that crime in Caracas is akin to the fifth column of American Yankees. It is supported by local and Colombian rich people. However, not everything is so clear. Criminal gangs were also the backbone of the president himself. In 2002, the military overthrew him and arrested him. Criminalized residents of poor areas came to the defense of the head of state. They armed themselves, surrounded the putschists and forced them to release Chavez.

There are many examples in history when a revolution is based on crime. And the social transformations carried out by Hugo Chavez in his country were also subject to this trend. As a result, in 2008 Caracas was recognized as the most criminal and dangerous city in the world. For 100 thousand people, 130 murders were recorded in it, and according to unofficial data, 160 murders. In comparison with 1998, the number of serious crimes increased by 68%.

Robbery in the streets became commonplace. The police did not recommend that people leave their homes after 6 p.m., and tourists with video cameras were warned that if they came up and demanded, then immediately give them back. The drug trade was also commonplace. Venezuela has become a transit point between Colombia and the United States. A dose of heroin could be bought in Caracas at every corner.

In 2009, 45 cases of kidnapping were recorded in the capital. In 2010, this figure rose to 134 cases. The kidnappers who were traveling in a car simply blocked the victims on the road, transferred them to their car and took them away in an unknown direction. They were released only after the payment of the ransom. Kidnappings were also widely practiced by the police. A whole gang of such guardians of the law was arrested in the capital.

Today the situation has improved slightly. Experts from the UN claim that 20% of all crimes are committed by the police. The authorities are trying to fight rampant crime. In this regard, a program for the reform of the police was created. There is a special department in charge of tourists. Its employees wear red berets. Mobile mobile police stations appeared.

Every Christmas, to reduce the level of crime in Caracas, units of the national guard are brought into the city to patrol the streets. This is due to the fact that on holidays citizens make a lot of purchases and carry large sums of money with them. So crime is on the rise.

However, the paradox is that urban residents are quite calm about the high level of crime. They are even proud that they have overtaken other Latin American cities in this indicator. Most Caracas simply live and enjoy life. Workers are not overworked. Lunch starts at noon, and then everyone waits for supper time.

The unemployed receive a good state allowance, corresponding to 300 US dollars. And this is in a warm climate and bargain prices for fruits and vegetables. Therefore, 95% of Venezuelans sincerely consider themselves happy. The recorded level of happiness is much higher than in such prosperous countries as Switzerland, Austria and Germany.