1000s of Venezuelans march with Maduro against violent crime

Thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the streets across the country to protest against crime in one of the world’s most violence-plagued nations.

Rallies were held across Venezuela on Sunday under the motto “For peace and for life” with President Nicolas Maduro attending a march in the capital Caracas.

“Today we are all together in our demand: enough violence already,” said Maduro adding, “Either we build peace in our society together, or there will not be any peace in our society.”

Venezuela ranks as one of the most violence-stricken countries in the world in terms of kidnappings, killings and thefts.

The country is witnessing an average of 71 murders every day, one of the highest rates in the world.

The Venezuelan Observatory on Violence (OVV), a non-governmental organization, has reported that approximately 24,763 people were murdered in the country last year, with a homicide rate of 79 per 100,000 residents.

However, the country’s Interior Ministry places the homicide at 39 deaths per 100,000.

Experts say one of the main cases of the crisis is the low success rate in prosecuting violent crimes. Figures show that about 92 percent of murders go unsolved.

Last year, Maduro announced that the government would dispatch a large number of troops across the country in order to counter the rise in Venezuela’s crime rate.

The president has also pledged to eliminate corruption at every level. In November 2013, Maduro was granted special powers to rule by decree in a bid to fight corruption and soaring inflation in the country.