Chavez strong-arms the police
The week's news at a glance.
Caracas
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez sent soldiers to disarm Caracas police officers this week. Chavez has accused the police of siding with anti-government demonstrators and harassing his supporters in the streets. Chavez has ignored a Supreme Court order to relinquish control of police stations, which he seized in November. Government spokesmen said it was necessary to confiscate police weapons, including machine guns and riot gear, to keep the public safe. Police Chief Henry Vivas said Caracas’ 9,000 officers, armed only with service revolvers, are now “defenseless” against criminals carrying automatic weapons. “Instead of disarming criminals, they disarm the police. It’s outrageous.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why are meteorologists worried Trump could ruin their forecasts?
Today's Big Question How a conservative push to dismantle a little-known government agency could lead to big headaches for anyone hoping to get a handle on their local weather
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Such wrongdoing encourages foreign corrupt practices'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Can Japan's new prime minister govern effectively?
In The Spotlight A 'popular gadfly' gets the top job
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published