Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.
Unknown FeedAfter ten years in power and a tripling of homicides, nothing defines the Chavez Government’s incompetence more than the statement from the Minister of the Interior and Justice Tareck El Aissami:
“20% of crimes are committed by policemen”
Truly the Law of the Jungle.
End of post.
The Devil's Excrement 
June 4, 2009 at 10:10 pm
liz, that’s my point, they are not.
Roberto, I guess not for now, but I suppose, if Chavez wanted, someday he could legalize this type of crime.
June 4, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Coye, Andres, as we say: “No se puede tapar el sol con un dedo”
June 4, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I’d keep an sharp eye on your libraryians.
June 4, 2009 at 5:08 pm
When you consider that bribes are probably not figured into this, the figure is even higher.
June 4, 2009 at 2:50 pm
No Andres F… what are they hiding if they confess 20%???
June 4, 2009 at 1:35 pm
The good thing is, they chose not to hide it.
June 4, 2009 at 10:02 am
About a month or a month and a half ago, I saw Wilmer Flores Trosel, Director of CIPC state on TV that the figure was 30-35%, not Tarek’s 20%.
Who’s right?
June 4, 2009 at 4:52 am
I have heard estimates three times as high from people in various security agencies who deal with Venezuela’s finest daily.
Ironically enough, out of the three times that I had been accosted in Venezuela, only once were the perpetrators actual street criminals (that I managed to fight off)…the other two times it was members of Polibrion and GN out for some bonus.
June 4, 2009 at 1:37 am
They must be sure to legalize all that so the stats won’t show it