HomeNewsBriefBeauty Queen Murder Pressures Venezuela Govt to Act on Insecurity
BRIEF

Beauty Queen Murder Pressures Venezuela Govt to Act on Insecurity

SECURITY POLICY / 8 JAN 2014 BY MARGUERITE CAWLEY EN

The murder of the 2004 Miss Venezuela winner has sparked a wave of concern over the country's security situation, forcing the government to confront a major issue it has previously tried to downplay.

Monica Spear, a model and actress, was murdered along with her British partner, Thomas Henry Berry, in an apparent robbery attempt on January 6.

According to El Universal, the couple's car broke down on the highway as they headed toward Caracas, and they were being assisted by a tow truck when a group of armed assailants approached their car and shot at them six times. Both were killed in the shooting, and their five-year-old daughter was wounded.

Five suspects have been arrested in the case, two of them minors, reported El Universal.

Following the murders, opposition leader Henrique Capriles claimed the country was in a "situation of emergency," calling on President Nicolas Maduro to "put our differences aside" to fight insecurity.

For his part, Maduro promised to "apply the full weight of the law" against those responsible and to use an "iron fist" against the country's criminals.

InSight Crime Analysis

When placed against the record 24,763 homicides -- a record homicide rate of 79 per 100,000 registered in the unofficial count of the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence (OVV) -- in 2013, Spear's death is neither shocking nor unusual. Robbery is a major cause of these killings -- a quarter of murders in Caracas were attributed to the crime in 2011.

However, the murder of such a prominent public figure has forced the issue of insecurity into the limelight after years of officials' attempts to cover up unpleasant crime statistics and manipulate public perceptions.

SEE ALSO: Venezuela News and Profiles

A central focus in coming days will be Maduro's reaction. The high-profile nature of the case places pressure on his administration to effectively address insecurity in what has become, based on OVV numbers, the world's second most dangerous country behind Honduras. His security policies until now have included placing soldiers on the streets and creating a joint civil-military task force to fight border crime, but OVV homicide numbers suggest these actions have had little impact so far. While the OVV's numbers may not be infallible, they appear far more reliable than statistics issued by the government

If the authorities are to effectively tackle Venezuela's rampant violence, they will also need to focus on issues such as deeply corrupt and ineffective security forces, rising drug trafficking through the country and a lack of effective gun control. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

ARGENTINA / 25 OCT 2022

Bolivia's cocaine trade is on the up. Originally a coca leaf cultivator, Bolivia has moved to cocaine production.

COCAINE / 7 MAR 2023

The US State Department's annual narcotics report sees coca cultivation spreading, while Colombia remains the top cocaine supplier to the…

ILLEGAL MINING / 9 AUG 2021

A former army lieutenant allegedly recruited Venezuelan soldiers to provide firepower for the Tren de Guayana gang in a bid…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.