Venezuela state under martial law against smugglers

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

Venezuela state under martial law against smugglers

49 minutes ago

The Venezuelan president has declared a state of emergency in a border region near Colombia following an attack by smugglers in which three soldiers and a civilian were injured.

Nicolas Maduro said there would be 60 days of martial law in five municipalities of the state of Tachira.He also said the closure of the border, announced on Thursday, will be extended until further notice.

Petrol and food smugglers have increasingly clashed with officers.

The BBC's Daniel Pardo in Venezuela reports that Mr Maduro said Colombian paramilitary groups regularly travel to Venezuela, generating chaos and shortages in order to destabilise the revolution.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34025800

[joshcryer]

1. A lot of poor people smuggle gasoline from Venezuela.

It's not like gang or mafia types. It's family men and their kids smuggling it in containers.

The true thefts come from moguls "disappearing" tankers full of fuel.

[FLPanhandle]

2. If Maduro hadn't fucked up the Venezuelan economy so badly, then smuggling wouldn't be a problem

He can blame his own price control policies for this problem, not outside forces.

[7962]

3. His next diversion: threatening Guyana. Anything to take away focus from his failure.

[Archae]

4. Of course. Jingoism and war always works for the corrupt.

Just look at Argentina during the Falklands mess, and Dubya in Iraq.

[seveneyes]

5. Maduro said Colombian paramilitary groups regularly travel to Venezuela, generating chaos and shorta

Looks like the CIA gets to take a powder on this one.