Shared with A Pseudo-Journalist's Surreal Den

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"Official figures show a huge increase in violent crime in the Venezuelan capital over the past decade, reaching a total of 130 murders per 100,000 population last year compared to 63 per 100,000 in 1998."


"Venezuelans aim to kick crime out", by Will Grant - BBC News Americas - May 8th, 2009

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I've read recently a post in  ryuumajin journal, about how he and his family were threatened by some bikers in a road of Jakarta on their way to have dinner...

Nothing happened to them, thank goodness!

However, that reminded me about a similar experience that my mother and I had some years ago in my hometown, Caracas.

(Well, it's pretty sad that you're talking again about your hometown under these circumstances.)

Yeah, I know... But I was needing to talk about that sometime...

(Go on! ;-D)

Thank you, Mr. "inner self", he, he ;-P.

Okay, I don't know how dangerous could be Jakarta... But I bet Caracas, despite this is a wonderful and exciting city to live, is unfortunately far more dangerous...

I think the BBC Americas article I've quoted above talks pretty clear about the situation that the three millions of my fellow "caraqueños" live everyday (despite that article talks mainly about a local martial art style..., but it still works for giving us a context)... However, we've got pretty used to that that situation since..., well..., my childhood, to be honest -_-U.

"Caraqueños" don't feel surprised anymore about hearing from the local media, after every weekend, that there were between 30 or 60 homicides in Caracas; sometimes the numbers reach around the 100 violent deaths every week.

The causes of these deaths may vary, but the most common of them are robbery, revenge, and even a stray bullet from a confrontation between gangs. And these deaths don't occur only in the poor areas of the city; sometimes I've heard about someone who was killed by muggers near of my own neighborhood, a middle class neighborhood...

Crime in Caracas has become a pretty seriuos issue, I have to say. And a similar situation happens in some of the major cities of Venezuela.

Fortunatley, we are "venezuelans"! XD

"And how 'venezuelans' deal with these kind of problems?", you may ask, folks...

Logically, we laugh in their faces, ha, ha!! XP

...and that's when this venezuelan-made short film, "900 Pánico", directed by Hernan Jabes, comes on the scene.

(It has English Subtitles, don't worry :-P.)


900 Pánico - Part 1 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHv8J_ZfLzc

900 Pánico - Part 2 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dAmeSZclbw


The main character's paranoia seems to be exaggerated... But believe me, most of his motives to feel paranoid aren't exaggerated O_O.

But, despite all that, I still think Caracas is one of the best cities to live in this planet... At least I got quite a view, thank God .

Don't talk with strangers, folks... And keep your talent alive! =^_^=