Meet your friendly neighborhood "colectivo"
Imagine these guys in green fatigues from now on
Last week, 97 irregular armed groups in Caracas (known as colectivos – roughly, left-wing paramilitaries) announced they would surrender their weapons in order to join the government-sponsored Movement for Peace and Life.
In response, Nicolás Maduro has invited their members to do positive things, like join the ranks of the Bolivarian militia.
First things first. For all this time, the government just allowed ninety-seven armed groups to roam freely just because they were “fighting the State terrorism of the Fourth Republic”? Seriously? The level of caradetablismo shown here is massive.
What’s odd is that these groups have proven on multiple occasions their willingness to challenge the authorities – and one another – and all the sudden they magically discover how to coordinate, only to announce they’ve decided to quit? And then they get a formal offer to keep doing what they doing, but in military uniform? Something’s fishy here…
Caracas Chronicles is 100% reader-supported.
We’ve been able to hang on for 22 years in one of the craziest media landscapes in the world. We’ve seen different media outlets in Venezuela (and abroad) closing shop, something we’re looking to avoid at all costs. Your collaboration goes a long way in helping us weather the storm.
Donate
