HOW VENEZUELA’S FEARSOME “COLECTIVOS” HELP KEEP MADURO IN POWER
CARACAS — It’s been five months since 35-year-old opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself Venezuela’s rightful president. Since then things haven’t exactly gone to plan: Not only has he tried and failed on multiple occasions to take down President Nicolás Maduro, he’s put Venezuela’s fearsome pro-government militias — better known as colectivos — on high alert.
Most colectivos formed in the early ‘90s when residents of working class neighborhoods organized and implemented defensive tactics to secure their barrios from state repression. When Hugo Chávez became President, he legitimized the colectivos, giving them resources and gaining their loyalty. They’ve never lost their devotion to Chavez, in fact they’ve extended it to his embattled successor. Over time, they’ve also become intertwined with the government’s security forces, and today play a crucial role in keeping Maduro in power.