Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Karp, Aaron. 2009 ‘Country Summaries - Venezuela.’ Surplus Arms in South America: A Survey; Working Paper 7, p. 58. Geneva: Small Arms Survey, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva. 1 August
Relevant contents
Country Summaries - Venezuela
Civilian firearms: On 1 April 1999 the US Department of State indefinitely suspended approval of new export licence applications for civilian weapons destined for Venezuela. Concern with social instability in Venezuela was compounded by suspicion that the country was being used as an illegal channel to divert guns to criminals and guerrillas in Colombia.
An interviewed expert in public security policy estimates that the total number of firearms in circulation in civilian hands in Venezuela is about 800,000 to 1.2 million, of which 40 per cent are illegal. Another official source estimates that there are 2 million weapons owned illegally and 1.5 million 'supposedly controlled' by the state. Together, these figures suggest total private ownership of 1.6 to 4.1 million guns.
Last accessed at:
http://www.smallarmssurvey.org