The (PTJ, by its acronym in Spanish; lit. "Judicial Police Technical Corps") was

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

's largest national police agency. Created in 1958, it was responsible for criminal investigations and forensic services, as well as counter-

narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...

.Mark Ungar (2002),
Elusive reform: democracy and the rule of law in Latin America
', p97 It was replaced by the

Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas The Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas (''Scientific, Criminal and Criminalistic Investigation Service Corps'', CICPC) is Venezuela's largest national police agency, responsible for criminal investigations and fo ...

in late 2001. The police's central role in judicial investigation in Venezuela can be traced back to the security forces of

Juan Vicente Gómez Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón (24 July 1857 – 17 December 1935) was a Venezuelan military general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air ...

, via the ''Seguridad Nacional'' of

Marcos Pérez Jiménez Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (25 April 1914 – 20 September 2001) was a Venezuelan military and general officer of the Army of Venezuela and the dictator of Venezuela from 1950 to 1958, ruling as member of the military junta from 195 ...

. The PTJ is ascribed to the Justice Ministry, creating a "hybrid of organizational dependence on the executive but functional dependence on the judiciary

hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...

has led to many political frictions". In many countries, the judicial police is placed in the ''Ministério Público'' (MP, Public Ministry).Ungar (2002:104)

References

Defunct law enforcement agencies of Venezuela Government agencies established in 1958 1958 establishments in Venezuela Government agencies disestablished in 2001 2001 disestablishments in Venezuela {{Venezuela-gov-stub