Hands shot through as punishment for stealing in church

PUERTO ORDAZ, BOLÍVAR, VENEZUELA – JANUARY 25, 2026 When a local church in the Las Amazonas neighborhood was robbed, it outraged the community. Some proactive individuals launched their own search for the thieves, which eventually led them to two men.

These two men were wanted and, under threats of violence, admitted to the crime. The community punished them by shooting their hands through.

Although such acts of vigilante justice may seem effective or understandable, they are in fact a severe violation of human rights. Even a thief has the right to a fair trial and a lawful sentence. Those who take the law into their own hands are often committing a crime more serious in the eyes of the law than the theft itself.