The total disintegration of Venezuela has brought muggers traveling in jitneys to formerly safe neighborhoods:
My cleaning lady is upset and scared, and near tears when she tells me the stories.
In the past three weeks the area has become very unsafe in day time. People that walk the streets are now getting mugged broad daylight. And she has more trouble than ever to get food. Why?The invasion of bachaqueros in the area follows a clear modus operandi.
They arrive in “busetas”, those worn down mini vans or mini bus that can carry up to 20 people, more if necessary… These unload the bachaqueros in front of a given store. The group arrives and breaks to the front of the line threatening as needed the locals, who terrified give them sway, the more so when home made weaponry is shown (chuzos like those made in Venezuelan jails). Sometimes more busetas arrive when from some magical knowledge they learn that this particular store will get more supplies than usual. There is indeed deep internal corruption links with some of the employees of these grocery stores. They get their cut of the loot.
ARGENTINA
OAS chief accuses Macri’s Argentina of obstructing moves to censure Venezuela.‘Games like this should not be played,’ says secretary general Luis Almagro, amid reports of effort to secure Caracas’s backing for Argentinian UN leader candidate. You heard it here first.
BOLIVIA
Narco-barcos con bandera boliviana
BRAZIL
Some NBC staffers refuse to travel to Brazil for Olympic coverage over Zika virus fears. Can’t say I blame them.
HAITI
‘Miami Vice’-style coke bust on the Miami River
MEXICO
Former Governor of Mexico’s Nuevo Leon State Faces Fraud Charges
Prosecutors in Mexico’s northern state of Nuevo Leon have accused former Gov. Rodrigo Medina and 10 senior members of his administration of fraud involving some $200 million in land sales and other dealings.
PERU
Peruvians Vote for President
VENEZUELA
Socialism for the 21st Century: Venezuela’s Discovery of Hunger
