在委内瑞拉 犯罪分子感受到经济危机的影响

In Venezuela, Criminals Feel Effects of Economic Crisis

El Negrito is a feared street criminal who sleeps with a gun under his head.

He says he cannot remember how many people he has killed. He also is quick to complain about how Venezuela’s failing economy is hurting his profits.

El Negrito, who is 24, recently spoke¹ with reporters from the Associated Press. He did so on the condition that he would be identified only by his street name.

Even for Venezuelan criminals, he says it has become harder to earn a living. Firing a gun has become more costly². Bullets now cost $1 each. And with less money on the street, he says, robberies just do not pay like they used to.

“If you empty your clip, you’re shooting off $15,” he said.

Drop in killings⁴, kidnapping

This week, President Nicolás Maduro’s administration reported a 39-percent drop in homicides over the last three years and a fall in kidnappings. Researchers at the Venezuelan Observatory⁵ of Violence also said murders dropped by 20 percent over the same period.

The reduction in crime has a direct link to Venezuela’s failing economy.

Inflation topped 1 million percent last year, making Venezuelan money, the bolivar, nearly useless. The severe lack of food and medicine has driven over 3.5 million people seeking better jobs to places like Colombia, Peru and Panama.

Although the country is fallen into a state of lawlessness, many Venezuelans who turn to crime find themselves in the same disorder⁶ that has led to a larger political and social meltdown.

Earlier this year, opposition⁷ leader Juan Guaidó launched a campaign to oust⁸ Maduro. The United States and more than 50 other nations have backed him. However, Maduro is still in power with military support.

Fewer attacks, more thefts

Crime in Venezuela has not exactly disappeared. It has simply changed form. Although physical attacks are down, reports of theft are rising. And, drug trafficking and illegal gold mining have become default activities for organized crime.

Venezuelans avoid looking at their cellphones while walking. Many leave gold and silver wedding rings in safe places at home. Others have grown used to checking to see whether they are being followed. When night falls, streets in the capital city of Caracas empty, as most residents follow an unofficial curfew out of fear for their safety.

“Venezuela remains⁹ one of the most violent countries in the world,” said Dorothy Kronick, who teaches political science at the University of Pennsylvania. She has carried out research in Caracas’ poorest neighborhoods. “It has wartime levels of violence — but no war.”

El Negrito leads a group of for-hire criminals called the Crazy Boys. The group is part of a complex criminal network in Petare, one of Latin America’s largest and most feared slums.

Fast kidnappings are big business. Usually, a victim is taken and held hostage for up to 48 hours while loved ones work to gather as much cash as they can find. Kidnappers¹⁰ focus on speed and a quick return rather than on the size of the payout.

El Negrito said the ransom¹¹ they set depends on what a victim’s car costs. A deal can turn deadly if demands are not met.

El Negrito passes a silver gun between his hands as he explains how he has struggles to support his wife and young daughter. A Christian¹² holy book is open in the room; a light wind turns its pages.

He says his group now carries out about five kidnappings a year. That is much lower than in years past. He has considered quitting and leaving the country.

'Nobody is doing well'

Robert Brice?o is director of the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence. He said the decrease in homicides is a matter of basic economics: As cash becomes severely¹³ limited in Venezuela, there is less to steal.

“These days, nobody is doing well — not honest citizens who produce wealth or the criminals who prey¹⁴ on them,” he said.

One member of the Crazy Boys, who gave only his nickname, Dog, said he has no trouble finding bullets for his guns on the black market. He said the issue is paying for it in a country where the average person earns $6.50 a month.

“A pistol used to cost one of these bills,” he said, holding a 10 bolivar bill that can no longer be used to buy a single cigarette. “Now, this is nothing.”

I’m John Russell.

And I'm Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

complain - v. ? to say something that expresses objection or unhappiness

clip - n. a container that is filled with bullets and that is placed inside a gun so that the bullets can be fired

homicide - n. the act of killing³ another person

meltdown - n. a very fast collapse¹⁵ or failure

theft - n. the act or crime of stealing

default - n. used to describe something that happens or is done when nothing else has been done or can be done

wedding? - n.? a marriage ceremony

resident - n.? someone who lives in a particular place?

for hire - phrasal v. to take a job: to work for wages or a salary?

network - n.? a group of people or organizations that are closely connected and that work with each other?

slum - n.? an area of a city where poor people live and the buildings are in bad condition?

focus - v.? to direct your attention or effort at something specific?

rather than - .?adv. in place of (something or someone) : instead of (something or someone)?

payout - n.? a usually large amount of money that is given to someone?

ransom - n. money that is paid in order to free someone who has been captured or kidnapped

prey - v. to hurt, cheat, or steal from (someone)

nickname - n. ? a name (such as “Moose” or “Lady Bird”) that is different from your real name but is what your family, friends, etc., call you when they are talking to you or about you?

black market - n. a system through which things are bought and sold illegally?

pistol - n. ?small gun made to be aimed and fired with one hand

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

5 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

6 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

12 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

13 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

14 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

15 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。