Colectivo (Venezuela)
Masked Venezuelan motorcyclists are often associated with colectivos.
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| Years active | 1985–present |
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| Territory | Venezuela (control 10% of cities) |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, arms trafficking murder, theft, extortion |
| Allies | |
The term colectivo or collective refers to a type of community organization in Venezuela that supports the Government of Venezuela and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela with their Bolivarian Revolution. The term may refer to a community organization with any shared purpose, such as a neighborhood group that organizes social events, a group that has a hobby or the militant groups that have been accused of attacking individuals.The New York Times describe them as groups that "originated as pro-government community organizations that have long been a part of the landscape of leftist Venezuelan politics ... civilians with police training, colectivo members are armed by the government". They further state that "colectivos are appearing almost anywhere the government sees citizens getting out of line". There are between 20 and 100 different colectivos in Venezuela, with the most prominent groups being the Tupamaros, Frente Francisco de Miranda, Alexis Vive, La Piedrita and Ciudad Socialista Frente 5 de Marzo, controlling about 10% of cities throughout Venezuela.
Colectivos say they are "dedicated to the promotion of democracy, political groups and cultural activities" in Venezuela. Some colectivos help with after-school programs, child care centers, puppet shows, drug rehabilitation, and sports programs; they also encourage voting by going door to door and protect communities from criminals. However, colectivos have been described as armed gangs or paramilitary groups by many organizations, with Human Rights Watch describing them as "armed gangs who use violence with impunity" who harass political opponents of the Venezuelan government. Colectivos have been accused of attacking Venezuelan opposition TV staff, sending death threats to journalists, and tear-gassing the Vatican envoy in 2009 after Hugo Chávez accused them of intervening with his government.
Colectivos emerged during the 1960s from guerrilla warfare in urban Venezuela and made a return during the presidency of Hugo Chávez. They returned after Chávez created their parent organizations known as Bolivarian Circles. According to Joseph Humire, executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society, colectivos were modeled after the Iranian Basij militia, with Humire noting that Chávez had personal meetings with Iranian officials that included the commander of Basij, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Nadqi. Hugo Chávez assigned colectivos to be "the armed wing of the Bolivarian Revolution" with the Venezuelan government, giving them weapons, communication systems, motorcycles and surveillance equipment to exercise control in the hills of Caracas where police are forbidden entry. Some weapons claimed to have been given to the groups include assault rifles, submachine guns and grenades.
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