As Venezuela pledges to arm civilians, experts worry that criminals will acquire military’s weapons
The Venezuelan government’s decision to arm civilians to defend the country’s socialist revolution amid growing unrest is rekindling fears of terrorists and criminal organisations acquiring part of the nation’s arsenal, which includes a large stockpile of shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles.
Experts and US policymakers are concerned about the risk that some of these missiles — as well as thousands of modern assault rifles and banned anti-personnel mines — might fall in the hands of criminal groups under President Nicolas Maduro’s regime, with its rampant corruption, its lack of internal controls and the country’s rapidly deteriorating conditions.
“Maduro is a dictator with close ties to terror-sponsoring regimes, and is now promising a ‘gun for every militiaman’ as his thugs counter the Venezuelan people’s peaceful pro-democracy protests with violence and lethal force,” said US Senator Marco Rubio.
“This reckless action reeks of desperation and raises the possibility that Maduro could lose control over dangerous weapons systems,” he said in a written statement.
