Venezuela signs arms control law

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela signs arms control law
June 17, 2013

CARACAS: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro signed a gun control bill into law in a bid to rein in the country’s runaway violent crime.

“I hereby sign into law this gun control law, for peace in our nation,” Maduro said in an address in Vargas state. The bill will allow sentences of up to 20 years in prison for any civilian convicted of illegally carrying or selling a firearm. It also restricts the sale of ammunition to civilians, and bans weapons from being shown in public places.

“Any arm that is confiscated will be destroyed immediately... the sales of weapons and ammunition also ends,” said National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello.

There are some exceptions: people are allowed to use weapons to protect their property and themselves when in danger, and security personnel can use them when transporting valuable items. The bill was promoted by late president Hugo Chavez, a leftist-populist in power since 1999 who died on March 5.

More:
http://gulftoday.ae/portal/29829609-ab75-472f-9d59-18ade74047b6.aspx

[Socialistlemur]

1. I don't think dead persons promote anything

President Chavez went offline 7 months ago. I really doubt this was his idea. I suspect Maduro is changing a lot of what Chavez did or failed to do. But he's intention selling the white birdie and the ideas he's approving (even if they aren't his ideas). It is as if he assumes he has no weight and has to get a blessing for everything from above or whatever. It's about time they have good gun control and stop all the corruption.

[Judi Lynn]

2. What prevented your awareness of Venezuelan news last year?

This topic was certainly well discussed over a year ago, over and over, and US corporate media did its best to spin Chavez as a gun grabber, of COURSE.

Short attention span?

Memory refresher:

Venezuela's Chavez bans gun ownership and firearms sales
gun control laws
June 3, 2012
By: Jim Kouri

In a move sure to make the American gun-control lobby green with envy and Second Amendment advocates wary, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's new gun law, which totally bans the commercial sale of firearms and ammunition to civilians, went into effect on Friday, June 1, a police source in Washington, D.C. told the Law Enforcement Examiner.

Until this ban became law, anyone in that South American country with a gun license could purchase firearms and ammunition from privately owned gun shops or sporting goods stores.

With Chavez's new gun-control law, only the Venezuelan army, police officials and certain groups such as security and private detective firms are allowed to buy firearms, and then only from state-owned weapons manufacturers and importers.

"It's gun-control on steroids and its nationalizing the firearms industry. And I'm certain American progressives are envious of both actions: banning gun ownership and nationalizing the gun industry," said the police source who requested anonymity.

According to the Venezuelan news media, the gun ban is the latest attempt by the government to improve security and cut crime ahead of elections in October, but many suspect it's all part of Chavez's socialist plan.

More:
http://www.examiner.com/article/venezuela-s-chavez-bans-gun-ownership-and-firearms-sales

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Hugo Chavez: Fighting crime by disarming innocent people
Simon Black, Sovereign Man Mar. 6, 2012, 12:00 PM

March 6, 2012
Caracas, Venezuela

With an annual murder rate estimated as high as 67 homicides per every 100,000 inhabitants in his country, Hugo Chavez is about to show the world that he’s tough on crime. At least, the non-governmental kind.

Chavez’s government claims that 98% of the homicides in Venezuela involve firearms. His solution? Restrict firearm ownership.

In recent remarks to the Latin American Herald Tribune, Venezuelan Interior and Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami announced that the government will begin suspending firearm importation, effective this month. Furthermore, local gunsmiths will no longer be able to market or sell firearms and ammunition.

According to El Aissami, “As of March, every last gun shop remaining in Venezuela – and there are less than 80 – should be closed. That is to say, in Venezuela, the perverse chapter of the commercialization of firearms and munitions is over.”

That ought to fix the problem. Murderous criminals obviously have no means of acquiring firearms illegally. And hapless victims clearly prefer to defend themselves with soup spoons and Tae Bo lessons.

More:
http://www.businessinsider.com/hugo-chavez-fighting-crime-by-disarming-innocent-people-2012-3

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June 2012 Last updated at 00:54 ET
Venezuela bans private gun ownership

Venezuela has brought a new gun law into effect which bans the commercial sale of firearms and ammunition.

Until now, anyone with a gun permit could buy arms from a private company.

Under the new law, only the army, police and certain groups like security companies will be able to buy arms from the state-owned weapons manufacturer and importer.

The ban is the latest attempt by the government to improve security and cut crime ahead of elections in October

More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18288430

ETC.

[Bacchus4.0]

3. the gun ban did nothing to reduce violence though

in fact 2012 was the worst year ever. Venezuela doesn't have a functioning judicial system from the police, to the judiciary, to the prison system. A complete failure.

[IBEWVET]

4. Why did they have to pass another law, if it was allready done?

Just wondering, thanks

[reorg]

7. they banned the sale of arms to private persons last year and started the process

to develop a comprehensive law, "Ley para el Desarme y Control de Armas y Municiones", which was passed in March and after 90 days of developing regulations Maduro signed it.

One paragraph says that you will be sentenced to prison for 7-20 years if you own an unregistered gun, another makes it illegal to bear arms in public places.



Last year in February they started to register all guns, the process is now almost completed, according to one of those articles here, all about the "Ley Dearme":

http://informe21.com/ley-desarme-0

[ocpagu]

5. Important step to reduce crime.

It is now crucial that the government establishes means of enforcing the law. Strengthening communitary police, with a new "social" approach in areas affected by high crime rates would be the natural complement to this action. I don't believe they will make any miracle regarding endemic violence - no country in Latin America has. Violence is deeply connected to the extreme levels of economic inequality, and it's unlikely any change on both issues will be abrupt. No doubt Venezuela has the potential to do that, however. They've became the most equal country of the continent, after all.

[Bacchus4.0]

6. the "social" approach seems to be placing the military in high crime areas

the previous "social" approach of arming a people's militia and letting the colectivos run things hasn't worked very well.