Caracas figures among the most dangerous cities in the world. Moving beyond the Venezuelan case, though, this article argues that the regional (Latin American) discourse and even global discourses on insecurity need to be territorialized. The social, cultural and political contingencies in Venezuela over the last few decades, the actions of the Chavist governments and the sociospatial inequalities of the conflict-ridden Caracas society presides over a unique construction of urban insecurity as a metanarrative. This article emphasizes the performative dimension of the narrative of insecurity, a genuine urban legend in Caracas, and the emergence of innovative forms of local security governance - spaces of regulation that throw into question the roles and statuses previously assumed by the urban actors.
Social construction; Narrative; Performativity; Spaces of regulation