MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Venezuela has been classified as the least safe country in the world due to the country's ongoing political and economic turmoil, the 2017 Global Law and Order report issued by the Gallup company said.
"Venezuela's score on Gallup’s Law and Order Index – its annual global gauge of how secure people feel – continued to follow the country’s descent into chaos in 2016. The country's index score of 42 out of 100 was the lowest in the world last year," the press release to the report read.
The actual index for Venezuela may be even lower over the recent election of the Constituent Assembly and ongoing protests, according to Gallup.
"Venezuela's scores on all of the individual questions that make up the current index were worse last year than at any point in the past decade. Just 12% of Venezuelans in 2016 said they felt safe walking alone at night where they live, and 14% expressed confidence in their police. These are not only the worst on record for Venezuela, but the worst for any country last year – and for the past 10 years," the press release said.
Latin America and the Caribbean remains the least secure region in the world, whereas the United States, Canada, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Western Europe are the most secure, according to the report. Singapore ranked as the safest country in the world with an index of 97.
In May, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced his decision to convene the National Constituent Assembly. Maduro's move was regarded by the opposition as an attempted coup and resulted in a further escalation of tensions and numerous casualties. The election to the new legislative body took place on Sunday but their results are not recognized by most countries in the region.
