ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the criminal violence in Venezuelan cities. The most popular theories explaining crime and violence place the blame not just on poverty, but also on the inequality experienced by poor people in the Global South, particularly in Latin America. Among the social explanations for violence and criminality, there are two major schools of thought. One believes that crime arises from poverty and inequality, and the other that criminality is driven by normative and institutional deficiencies. In cities, the highly profitable market for drug manufacturing and distribution is very competitive and, despite its illegality, strictly regulated by the gangs. The business is enforced either by threats of violence or its actual use. The female figures acted as protectors of the people and regulators of violence. The poor are more likely to be victims of crime than other socioeconomic groups and are also victims of more violent crime.
