A Facebook fan page dedicated to Mafia chieftain Toto Riina, Jan. 12, 2009. In Venezuela, criminals are increasingly turning to Facebook and other social networking sites to research potential targets. (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)
Facebook: A tool for cops and robbers
In Venezuela criminals use Facebook to research targets. Cops use it too — but not always for scrupulous purposes.
CARACAS, Venezuela — It has taken Venezuela by storm, but it seems that Facebook and other social networking sites also come with their perils.
Police here revealed that a pair of students at a private university in Caracas had been robbing their virtual friends’ homes using information they had compiled using Facebook.
Police raided the apartment of one of two...
Recent on Venezuela:
Soccer team's murder leaves villagers scared
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - November 4, 2009 06:55 ET
The murder of an amateur soccer team has heightened tensions between Colombia and Venezuela.
No watching "Family Guy" in Venezuela
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - October 28, 2009 12:04 ET
Venezuela thinks "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" are unsuitable. But it's OK with "Baywatch."
Saving the leatherback turtle
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - October 10, 2009 08:04 ET
Stamping its identity on the chocolate market
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - September 28, 2009 05:57 ET
Venezuela produces some of the world's best cacao — so why doesn't it make chocolate?
Inside Venezuela's beauty factory
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - September 25, 2009 08:01 ET
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Stanford scam bilked Jews out of millions
Todd Bensman - Commerce - September 24, 2009 13:50 ET
A GlobalPost Passport investigation finds that the $8 billion Stanford Ponzi scheme decimated the savings of Jews in Mexico City and Caracas. Were they explicitly targeted?
"Loin steaks" on the pageant stage
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - September 24, 2009 06:09 ET
Video: Venezuela spends millions of hours and dollars grooming its candidates for beauty competitions.
Anti-Chavez and anti-Uribe protesters face off
Nadja Drost - Colombia - September 6, 2009 14:59 ET
Social networking organizes international protests against the Venezuelan president.
New waves of displacement
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - September 4, 2009 15:18 ET
Colombia's offensive against armed groups has increased the flow of refugees across the Venezuela border.
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Caracas: more expensive than London?
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - September 2, 2009 11:31 ET
How can a city in a developing country be the world's 15th most expensive — and how do the poor get by?
Return of the dictators?
John Otis - Colombia - September 2, 2009 08:14 ET
Colombia's Alvaro Uribe is the latest in a string of Latin American leaders to push for more time in office.
Meet the economic gangsters
Mark Scheffler - Commerce - August 12, 2009 09:03 ET
Economic gangsters come in all shapes and sizes — they're Asian dictators and Somali pirates.
A thriving border business
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - August 12, 2009 06:46 ET
Smugglers are loading up their cars and selling Venezuela's cheap gas just next door in Colombia.
Colombia and Venezuela face off
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - July 28, 2009 17:51 ET
Tensions rise as Colombia accuses Venezuela of supplying Swedish weapons to rebels.
Colombian guerrillas behind kidnappings in Venezuela
John Otis - Venezuela - July 28, 2009 17:06 ET
With a law enforcement crackdown in Colombia, guerrillas are working across the border.
Clashes continue between Chavez and opposition
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - July 8, 2009 18:37 ET
Chavez launches accusations at the governor of a southwestern state.
Tickle me Hugo
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - July 7, 2009 14:57 ET
Where you can stock up on Hugo Chavez dolls and T-shirts.
In Honduras, a media crackdown
Ioan Grillo - The Americas - July 5, 2009 08:38 ET
Media situation in Honduras reflects larger battle in region between leftist leaders and oligarchs.
Stuck in traffic
Charlie Devereux - Venezuela - June 3, 2009 10:06 ET
In Venezuela, traffic has become a hot-button political issue.
Global Blogs:
Two revolutionary moments: the new socialist man
Venezuela News And Views - Venezuela - November 20, 2009 11:21 ET
On from me and one courtesy of TeodoroI went to get my San Felipe Central Madeirense, the grocery store located in middle class San Felipe, where you need a car or a cab to go since there is not even a convenient bus top close by. In spite of San Felipe growth the CM is still...
The mystery of the sudden fall from grace of a leading bolibourgeois magnate
The Devils Excrement - Venezuela - November 20, 2009 18:47 ET
(Rayma: Do you feel like eating another bank?) It is a story typical of the revolution and we have now seen it a few times: The sudden rise of an unknown businessman in the last few years,...
The eternal campaign: from North to South, from East to West
Venezuela and Europe - Venezuela - November 19, 2009 19:38 ET
The president of Venezuela is famous/notorious for his Aló Presidente programme, a kind of reality show broadcast on Venezuelan state television and radio every Sunday. It lasts for hours, on average about 5 hours but often more. All ministers have to be present during the...
Updates from Occupied California
Donald Kingsbury, Author/A Gringo in the Bolivarian Republic - Venezuela - November 19, 2009 14:10 ET
I've been so long in posting because of teaching and dissertating duties. The current collapse of the University of California system has not been helping matters in the slightest.-On September 24th, Students throughout the UC system and especially here at UCSC staged walkouts...
Venezuela News
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Reporter's Notebook
A rumor that had been circulating in Venezuela for some time was confirmed on Friday — and then quickly retracted. On Friday,...Read more >
It was high drama at the Miss Venezuela beauty pageant here last night. Miss Miranda, Marelisa Gibson, the 21-year-old brunette featured in our...Read more >
It's a cause for controversy at home and has picked up a gamut of awards in the process, but now the popular cartoon show "Family Guy" has...Read more >
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