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655:, one of the poorest states in Venezuela. The region once had the fourth largest fleet of tuna ships in the world, but by late 2016, many former fishermen in the state became pirates. The pirates killed fishermen in the area and threatened businesses, preying on individuals who entered the open sea and stealing their boat engines, fish and other goods. According to Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), a total of 21 pirate attacks were reported near Venezuela in 2016.
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In 2023, there has been a marked increase in coordinated attacks by pirate groups. A significant incident in March 2023 involved pirates hijacking a cargo vessel near the island of
Margarita, demanding ransom for the release of the crew. The Venezuelan government, in response to growing international
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The international community, including organizations such as the
International Maritime Organization (IMO), has called for increased cooperation and support to combat piracy in the region. Efforts are being made to provide training and resources to local authorities to better address the threat of
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Additionally, there have been increased instances of piracy linked to organized crime networks, with some attacks being traced back to criminal syndicates operating out of major
Venezuelan cities. In April 2023, a joint operation between Venezuelan and Colombian authorities led to the capture of a
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into
Venezuela, where there is scarcity of numerous common products due to economic issues. With the two countries being two hours apart by water, Venezuelan pirates can receive high profits selling Trinidadian goods in their native country, and then return to the island nation to sell discounted
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Furthermore, there has been a rise in violence associated with piracy. In June 2023, an attack on a fishing vessel off the coast of Sucre resulted in the deaths of four fishermen, highlighting the continuing dangers faced by those venturing into
Venezuelan waters.
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Government is absent, bandits are everywhere, and participating can cost you your life. But not participating can also mean death, because the official economy of
Venezuela is in a state of collapse, and the people are starving.
202:
575:, which was also caused by economic collapse. As Venezuelans grow more desperate, fears of increasing incidents and range of piracy have been reported. Venezuelan pirates often smuggle weapons, drugs and
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pressure, announced an increase in naval patrols along the most affected regions, although local reports suggest these measures have yet to significantly deter pirate activities.
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Venezuelan contraband. Venezuelans also fear government authorities who are just as desperate, accusing law enforcement of piracy as well. The violence in the area led
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oil facilities near Lake
Maracaibo's waters. In total, 71 incidents of piracy occurred in Venezuelan waters according to OBP, a 163% increase from the previous year.
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increasing. By 2015, the tonnage of fish caught in
Venezuela dropped by 60% compared to when Chávez entered office, with thousands of fishermen losing their jobs.
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These developments underscore the ongoing crisis and the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to tackle the root causes of piracy in
Venezuela.
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Many fishermen who previously worked in
Venezuela's once successful fishing industry turned to piracy. Pirates would steal, smuggle drugs and
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977:""Tengo miedo… si te agarran, te matan": los piratas del lago Maracaibo y la peligrosa búsqueda de la corvina, el pez "dorado" de Venezuela"
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631:, where impoverished fishermen likewise turned to hijacking passing vessels after the country's collapse into lawlessness in the 1990s.
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At the end of the 20th century, Venezuela had a successful fishing industry where international business and trade occurred. When
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was elected president in 1998, he changed the country's social, political and economic structure through the
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In 2010, the Bolivarian government expropriated and nationalized the fishing industry in the state of
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notorious pirate leader known for orchestrating numerous high-profile hijackings in the Caribbean.
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1082:"Comparing the Economic and Social Problems leading to Maritime Piracy in Somalia and Venezuela"
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in the Caribbean began to emerge in 2018. Pirates also make an income by smuggling goods from
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674:, according to locals, rarely patrols the waters. Pirates would also strip equipment from
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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670:, are often targeted by pirates in the area to be sold in international markets. The
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victims. Authorities have also been involved in piracy near the coast of Venezuela.
772:"Piracy returns to Caribbean as Venezuela turmoil spurs rise in attacks on yachts"
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Venezuela's fall is considered to be mainly caused by the populist policy
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666:, valuable fish caught in the waters that contain swim bladders rich in
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1005:"A FONDO-Piratas y ladrones se ensañan con la industria petrolera..."
948:"El flagelo de la piratería marítima llega a las costas de Venezuela"
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812:""They be pirates": An old scourge is reappearing in the Caribbean"
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policies initiated by Chávez and continued by his successor,
854:"Venezuelan Pirates Rule the Most Lawless Market on Earth"
1061:"Piracy incidents on the rise in 2023 | SWZ|Maritime"
916:"It's not Hugo Chavez's Venezuela anymore, or is it?"
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267:2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela
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1451:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
696:to name the waters the "Gulf of No Return".
287:2023 Unitary Platform presidential primaries
257:2018 re-election campaign of Nicolás Maduro
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1080:Moreira, JTMS Intern Thyene (2023-09-04).
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603:, drove the country into a decline, with
681:Reports of Venezuelan pirates attacking
975:Alex, Gustavo Ocando (9 January 2017).
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852:Franklin, Jonathan (30 January 2018).
627:. The trend has direct echoes of the
571:. The situation has been compared to
247:2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis
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112:Economic policy under Nicolás Maduro
1059:Buitendijk, Mariska (2024-01-12).
914:Porzucki, Nina (13 January 2016).
326:2017 Constituent Assembly election
173:Interventions of political parties
14:
1003:Ulmer, Alexandra (25 June 2015).
735:San Juan de las Galdonas massacre
565:Piracy off the coast of Venezuela
188:Venezuela–Colombia migrant crisis
107:Economic policy under Hugo Chávez
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1294:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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292:2024 Venezuelan political crisis
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22:
882:"화폐경제 무너졌는데…최저임금 인상에 목매는 베네수엘라"
730:Piracy off the coast of Somalia
573:piracy off the coast of Somalia
770:Freeman, Colin (23 May 2018).
262:Venezuelan presidential crisis
1:
1543:Maritime history of Venezuela
956:(in Spanish). 8 December 2016
470:2017 National Assembly attack
1012:(in Spanish). Archived from
672:Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela
693:Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
465:Caracas helicopter incident
336:2020 parliamentary election
316:2015 parliamentary election
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921:Public Radio International
658:Into 2017, piracy grew in
495:2020 Barquisimeto shooting
346:2024 presidential election
331:2018 presidential election
311:2013 presidential election
58:Gasoline smuggling in the
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1436:Saint Pierre and Miquelon
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237:Arrest of Antonio Ledezma
31:This article needs to be
1456:Turks and Caicos Islands
475:Attack on Fort Paramacay
1523:Piracy in the Caribbean
500:Operation Gideon (2020)
163:International sanctions
1371:British Virgin Islands
1132:Piracy in the Americas
639:
613:shortages in Venezuela
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1284:Saint Kitts and Nevis
880:남민우, 기 (2 May 2018).
593:Bolivarian Revolution
567:increased during the
490:2019 uprising attempt
151:Zulia energy collapse
97:Bolivarian Revolution
57:
629:Somali piracy crisis
528:Venezuela portal
485:Caracas drone attack
282:2022 recall movement
242:2016 recall movement
203:Xenophobic incidents
1528:Crisis in Venezuela
1461:U.S. Virgin Islands
1304:Trinidad and Tobago
1149:Antigua and Barbuda
817:The Washington Post
700:Recent Developments
687:Trinidad and Tobago
569:crisis in Venezuela
510:2022 Arauca clashes
74:Crisis in Venezuela
1538:Crime in Venezuela
1214:Dominican Republic
505:2021 Apure clashes
272:Venezuela Aid Live
198:Catatumbo campaign
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1518:Piracy by country
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1036:"Piracy Map 2023"
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277:COVID-19 pandemic
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1016:on 26 May 2018
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43:February 2020
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1431:Saint Martin
1338:Dependencies
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1089:. Retrieved
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1014:the original
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1416:Puerto Rico
1343:territories
1289:Saint Lucia
1224:El Salvador
890:(in Korean)
738: [
589:Hugo Chávez
60:Limón River
1512:Categories
1411:Montserrat
1406:Martinique
1401:Guadeloupe
1199:Costa Rica
1091:2024-07-06
1066:2024-07-06
1045:2024-07-06
927:14 January
823:2018-08-13
748:References
252:Lima Group
158:Defections
1484:Caribbean
1396:Greenland
1319:Venezuela
1264:Nicaragua
1234:Guatemala
1154:Argentina
1139:Sovereign
982:BBC Mundo
859:Bloomberg
786:0307-1235
644:Bloomberg
609:inflation
305:Elections
232:La Salida
183:Shortages
1351:Anguilla
1299:Suriname
1274:Paraguay
1249:Honduras
1209:Dominica
1194:Colombia
1164:Barbados
724:See also
717:piracy.
668:collagen
664:Croakers
597:Populist
415:Timeline
360:Protests
102:Chavismo
1381:Curaçao
1366:Bonaire
1361:Bermuda
1314:Uruguay
1254:Jamaica
1229:Grenada
1219:Ecuador
1174:Bolivia
1159:Bahamas
1009:Reuters
953:Infobae
605:poverty
583:History
125:Effects
33:updated
1269:Panama
1259:Mexico
1239:Guyana
1184:Canada
1179:Brazil
1169:Belize
1141:states
1020:25 May
988:25 May
960:25 May
894:22 May
865:25 May
791:25 May
784:
619:Effect
227:Dakazo
221:Events
178:Piracy
91:Causes
1356:Aruba
1244:Haiti
1189:Chile
742:]
676:PDVSA
653:Sucre
66:state
64:Zulia
1421:Saba
1341:and
1279:Peru
1204:Cuba
1086:jtms
1022:2018
990:2018
962:2018
929:2016
896:2018
887:朝鮮日報
867:2018
793:2018
782:ISSN
611:and
446:2019
441:2018
436:2017
431:2016
426:2015
421:2014
402:2024
397:2019
392:2018
387:2017
382:2016
377:2015
372:2014
367:2013
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740:es
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35:.
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