Caracas, Venezuela — The Venezuelan capital has experienced a significant decline in violent crime in recent years, marking a notable shift for a city once considered among the world's most dangerous. Homicide rates have reportedly fallen sharply, kidnappings have become rare, and street robberies have diminished. This transformation is regarded by some as one of Latin America’s most dramatic security improvements.
Miguel Dao, a former director of Venezuela’s equivalent of the FBI and a professional kidnapping negotiator, reflects the change firsthand. Once engaged multiple times a day to secure hostages, Dao said he has not negotiated a kidnapping in three years, calling the drop in crime “an accomplishment by any measure.”
Authorities credit a combination of factors for the improved security, including aggressive police campaigns initiated under the government of Nicolás Maduro, who began “Operations for the Liberation of the People” about a decade ago. These operations involved militarized raids targeting heavily criminalized, low-income neighborhoods. The campaign aimed to dismantle armed gangs but relied largely on extrajudicial killings. United Nations investigators reported that security forces were responsible for thousands of deaths — at least 6,856 in an 18-month period spanning 2018 and 2019 — with many victims being young men presumed to be gang members.
This forceful approach has drawn international scrutiny. The International Criminal Court (ICC) launched an investigation into the alleged abuses, but Venezuela announced in July 2023 its intention to withdraw from the court, a move supported by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump amid wider efforts to weaken the ICC.
Those who have lost family members in police raids continue to grapple with their losses. Millaynella Fernández recounted witnessing the police fatally shooting her 23-year-old son, who had no criminal record, during a 2021 raid in the La Vega neighborhood. “They forced my son to his knees and shot him right in the chest,” she said. Such accounts underscore concerns over the human cost of the crackdown.
Despite these criticisms, Venezuelan government officials have highlighted the dramatic reduction in homicides. Delcy Rodríguez, who succeeded Maduro as head of the executive branch earlier this year, stated in January 2025 that the country’s homicide rate had fallen to three per 100,000 people—one of the lowest in the Americas. However, independent criminologists express skepticism, citing the lack of published data and cautioning that official figures have not been substantiated.
The Venezuelan government has restricted access to crime statistics and imposed limits on public discourse surrounding security policies. In 2024, journalist Nakary Mena Ramos was detained for months following her questioning of rising street robberies potentially linked to the return of deported Venezuelans from the United States. This episode highlighted the sensitive nexus between mass migration and crime trends. Some analysts suggest that migration, including the exodus of many gang-affiliated individuals, has contributed to the reduction in violent crime.
Economic factors have also played a role. Venezuela’s economic collapse led to diminished purchasing power for many residents, reducing incentives for street crime. Moreover, the informal adoption of the U.S. dollar and increasing use of electronic payments have displaced cash transactions, making muggings and express kidnappings less profitable.
In neighborhoods like Cota 905, once controlled by gangs and known for violence and kidnappings, police operations successfully eliminated or dispersed gang leadership, including the death of Carlos Luis Revette, alias El Kokí. While the area still bears scars from past violence, some residents have begun organizing walking tours to familiarize locals and visitors with a transformed environment. Yet, as locals like Neyda Cuauro caution, the peace could be fragile. “It’s safer now, but look how we got here,” she said, noting the lasting trauma from confrontations with authorities.
As the Venezuelan government contemplates easing certain hard-line measures, such as dismantling police checkpoints, questions remain about whether the recent security improvements can be sustained without continued heavy-handed enforcement and under the complexities of ongoing social and economic challenges.