Venezuela has been in a tailspin since former President Hugo Chavez died in March 2013. But in addition to the country's visible economic and political deterioration, another crisis is emerging, one that is perhaps less conspicuous but no less damaging. Tension is rising between Venezuelan security forces and the pro-government patronage groups known as colectivos . Despite being highly disorganized, the colectivos have managed to take advantage of the ruling party's fragmentation and its weakened grip on power, bringing anarchy to the streets of Caracas. If the Venezuelan government does not move quickly to disarm the groups, it will risk losing more control of the neighborhoods in which they operate. Given enough time, the colectivos could even evolve into organized crime groups — a threat that would prove even more difficult to eradicate.