The Professionalization of Crime in Venezuela: How State Power Forged the Foundations of Transnational Organized Crime

Abstract

In the early 2000s, the idea of crime becoming professionalized appeared paradoxical and could have sounded controversial. Even today, the existence of any institution, facility, group, or platform dedicating its efforts and services to training, improving, and perfecting criminal activities and their underlying logic may seem laughable.

In Venezuela, such a structure existed, where, in order to achieve certain objectives, the end justified the means.

After two decades of events and processes involving Venezuela's security and defense apparatus, we can now examine how the foundations of what we know today as Transnational Organized Crime originated.

The aim of this essay is to provide the reader with an analytical tool, supported by empirical knowledge, that reflects the author's perspective on how State Power, to the detriment of its fundamental role of protecting citizens, forged the foundations of Venezuelan Transnational Organized Crime.

Keywords: Organized Crime, Venezuela, State Corruption, Citizen Security, Transnational, Bolivarian Circles, DISIP, Tren de Aragua, Helicoide, Hugo Chávez, Latin American Criminality, Guerrilla, State and Crime, Latin America, Armed Groups, International Crime, Narco-State, Human Rights, State Intelligence, Politics and Violence, Criminal Training, Bolivarian Militias, Bolivarian Revolution, Institutional Corruption