Abstract

CRESPO-P., Freddy A.. A glance at social inequality and criminal violence in Venezuela. Rev. Crim. [online]. 2017, vol.59, n.2, pp.65-80. ISSN 1794-3108.

In Venezuela, in the few past years, a reduction in social inequality has been witnessed while, in contrast, criminal violence levels have gone up in a signifi cant manner. With the objective of studying such an ambivalent relations hip, this research is offered as based on a supplementary methodology where a correlation has been established between the levels of social inequality, measured through the Gini index and the homicide rate in chronological series of over more than ten years. Likewise, work was carried out on the life story of two cases with differentiated criminal patterns. The results of the quantitative correlation show that the social inequality reduction seen here is connected with the rising homicide rate. This is contrary to what the experience in other countries has indicated, while in qualitative exploration it was found that, structurally speaking, social inequality is not what either motivates or inhibits the criminal and violent conduct of individuals. but rather the individual perceptions constructed from the equality or inequality situation as catalyzers of these actions. The conclusion is that the relationship between social inequality and violence has a deep echo in these perceptions since, ultimately, they are e latter since they are ultimately what feeds back the structural construction existing between these two variables.

Keywords : Individual violence; social violence; social inequality; Venezuela; supplementarity; complementarity.

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