Editing Venezuela (section)

===Corruption===
{{Main|Corruption in Venezuela}}
[[File:Corrupt Venezuelan Regime.pdf|thumb|The ''[[Corruption in Venezuela|Corrupt Venezuelan Regime]]'', according to the [[United States Department of Justice]]]]
[[Corruption in Venezuela]] is high by world standards and was so for much of the 20th century. The discovery of oil worsened political corruption.<ref>{{harvnb|McBeth|2002|p=17}}. "From 1917, greater awareness of the country's oil potential had the pernicious effect of increasing the corruption and intrigue amongst Gomez's family and entourage, the consequences of which would be felt up to 1935."</ref> By the late 1970s, [[Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonso]]'s description of oil as "the Devil's excrement" had become a common expression in Venezuela.<ref>{{harvnb|Coronil|1988|p=353}}. "The perception of petroleum as the cause of Venezuela's corruption had become widespread during this period."</ref> The [[Corruption Perceptions Index]] has ranked Venezuela as one of the most corrupt countries since the survey started in 1995. The 2010 ranking placed Venezuela at number 164, out of 178 ranked countries in government transparency.<ref>[http://english.eluniversal.com/2011/01/21/en_ing_esp_the-truth-of-pdval_21A5015053.shtml The truth of Pdval] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514111928/http://english.eluniversal.com/2011/01/21/en_ing_esp_the-truth-of-pdval_21A5015053.shtml |date=14 May 2013}}, ''[[El Universal (Caracas)|El Universal]]'', 21 January 2011.</ref> By 2016, the rank had increased to 166 out of 178.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.transparency.org/country/VEN|title=Transparency International – Venezuela|first=Transparency International|last=e.V.|website=www.transparency.org|date=31 January 2023|access-date=3 October 2017|archive-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010122451/https://www.transparency.org/country/VEN|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[World Justice Project]] ranked Venezuela 99th out of 99 countries surveyed in its 2014 Rule of Law Index.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.worldjusticeproject.org/#/index/VEN|title=WJP Rule of Law Index™ 2014|access-date=26 April 2015|archive-date=29 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429071718/http://data.worldjusticeproject.org/#/index/VEN|url-status=dead}}</ref>

This corruption is shown with Venezuela's significant involvement in [[Illegal drug trade in Venezuela|drug trafficking]], with [[Colombian cocaine]] and other drugs transiting Venezuela towards the United States and Europe. In the period 2003–2008 Venezuelan authorities seized the fifth-largest total quantity of cocaine in the world, behind Colombia, the United States, Spain and [[Panama]].<ref>United Nations, [http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/WDR2010/AllSeizures.pdf World Drug Report 2010 Statistical Annex: Drug seizures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010120056/http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/WDR2010/AllSeizures.pdf |date=10 October 2017}}</ref> In 2006, the government's agency for combating illegal drug trade in Venezuela, ''[[National Anti-Drug Office|ONA]]'', was incorporated into the office of the vice-president. However, many major government and military officials have been known for their involvement with drug trafficking.<ref>{{cite news|title=Venezuela: Where The Mafia And The Military Come Together|url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/opinion/2014/02/07/venezuela-where-mafia-and-military-come-together/|access-date=9 February 2014|newspaper=Fox News|date=7 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208064520/http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/opinion/2014/02/07/venezuela-where-mafia-and-military-come-together/|archive-date=8 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>