After Confiscating Civilian Guns, Venezuelan Dictator Maduro Re-arms His Supporters as a Militia

Under the law passed in 2012, only the military, police and security companies could buy guns, but just from one state-run arms company.

The Venezuelan citizenry was disarmed through a combination of gun buybacks and confiscations. The gun grab was justified as a means to combat the growing violent crime and murder epidemic that paralleled deteriorating economic conditions.

At the time the gun ban took effect, Venezuela’s murder rate was 73 per 100,000 inhabitants. Despite the gun confiscation, the murder rate rose to 91.8 per 100,000 in 2016.

As protests and unrest increase in Venezuela, Maduro’s regime has created a landscape where civilians are disarmed but his supporters are not. The latest round of mass demonstrations in the streets of Caracas have already claimed five lives. Experts said the current protests are more widespread than in the past, and the country may be at a breaking point.”

Maduro claims the militia can help the country repel what he calls “imperialist aggression.” In a sign of further tightening of government control of everything, the General Motors plant in Valencia was seized by authorities yesterday. In response, GM has halted all operations in the country.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez has sharply criticized the recent protests for creating “anxiety in the public, anarchy and chaos, with the ignoble aim of toppling the democratic government.”

The horrible economic conditions in Venezuela have led to hyperinflation that’s created a living hell for most of its citizens, who now are unable to afford even the most basic items.

By re-arming his supporters and creating an actual militia, Maduro now may have a new means to counter the protests and also protect his regime from a possible military coup.

Source: Free Beacon