Pirates Of The Caribbean A Grim Reality As Venezuela Disintegrates

Several hundred years ago, the Caribbean Sea was notorious as a hotbed of piracy and violence. Over time, this piracy has been romanticised and watered-down in countless films and novels. Luckily, the so-called ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ has long passed, and ships are free to sail where they please, without fear of attack.

Up until recently, that is…

Venueula is already one of the poorest countries in South America, with some of the highest crime rates in the world. That, combined with a collapsed economy and a dictatorial government, has left everyday people with few chances to make ends meet. Factor in its long, and poorly policed coastline, and it was only a matter of time before local criminals branched out into piracy to make a quick buck.

Following a path taken by ruthless people in other ungoverned places in the world, such as Somalia and the Sulu Sea, piracy is now on the rise again in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela. However, as chronicled by Anthony Faiola of the Washington Post, these pirates are nothing like the anti-heroes immortalized in fiction. Instead, they are waging a brutal series of attacks with levels of violence akin to Mexican Cartels or ISIS.