Venezuela: A Beautiful Disaster By: Aileen Benhamu Venezuela is a country located in South America with Caracas as its capital. Its large green areas and its tropical climate distinguish this country from the others. Venezuela also offers very nice places to visit, such as Canaima, which is an amazing rainforest formed more than two billion years ago. Another attraction is Isla Margarita, that is located 40 km from Caracas and it s a favorite among beach attractions. Los Roques, is an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea; it is an island surrounded by many cays, which is worldwide recognized for its stunning sea color. Los Roques covers both terrestrial and aquatic areas. Its population is mainly made up of Europeans, Africans and the native Venezuelans. The country is full of magnificent beaches, mountains, and forests. Some of the most typical dishes are the Creole pavilion, and the arepas. Google Images Cerro el Ávila and the runway of the airport named La Carlota. In the past, Venezuela was a friendly country where its entire population enjoyed their everyday activities with a smile on their face. This was because at that time, they were able to walk on the streets without feeling unsafe. This was because there was no corruption as well as no social class differences. However, all that changed. Hugo Chavez Frias was a Venezuelan Politician that took power from 1999 until 2013. He received advice and learned how to manipulate the Venezuelan population from the Castro brothers, Cuban rulers. Venezuela has some of the largest known reserves of oil in the world, but somehow its economy is in an ongoing crisis. After 1
the president Hugo Chavez died due to cancer, his successor Nicholas Maduro took over his job. Nowadays, in Venezuela there are widespread shortages of basic goods, rising levels of crime, and growing political violence. According to the documentary Behind the Protests in Caracas: Venezuela Rising published by Video News on Jul. 8, 2014; the scarcity of basic goods, and the violence and crime that Venezuelans are facing inspired the student movement protests all around the country. UN has declared Venezuela as the country with the highest number of murders per year. It is also stated that at least 43 people have died, and thousands more have been injured and arrested since the protests began in Caracas. Google images Opposition students protested in Caracas and other cities in Venezuela in opposition to the economic crisis and insecurity, while Chavez's supporters did the same to celebrate an independence date. In the end, rival groups clashed, causing two deaths and several cars burned. The students are defending the right ideals and principles with the same strength, as did young Venezuelans from other eras. Unlike other societies who have never known democracy, the students, with all the deficiencies, know exactly what they want. Venezuelan students die in the streets fighting for their country every day. There is a saying in Venezuela that states: There is no evil that even people who resist it lasts a thousand years. Another fatal issue in Venezuela consists in the food shortage. According to an article called Venezuela s Food Shortages Trigger Long Lines, Hunger and Looting, by Kejal Vyas and Maolis Castro, Published by the Wall Street Journal on Aug. 26, 2015, it is stated that Venezuelans most of the time are hungry because a food shortage exists in their country. The shortage of food does not stop rising as do the cues in the supermarkets. Nowadays it is very 2
difficult to find any kind of product in Venezuela. It is ridiculous the amount of time that people wait in the lines to buy necessary, basic stuff. As you can see, What s certain is that we are going very hungry here and the children are suffering a lot; said María Palma, a 55- year-old grandmother who on a recent blistering hot day had been standing in line at the grocery store since 3 a.m. before walking away empty-handed at midday. This is a horrible scenario. Imagine living in a country where the most basic elements like flour and toilet paper are lacking. Google Images Shoppers wait in a long line to enter the state-run supermarket that sells government subsidized food. (Miguel Gutirez for The Wall Street Journal). During the last 18 years, the Venezuelan Government has strengthened the regulation of prices from some basic products, what for many discouraged the importation and production of those. And that, according to the economists in opposing line, is one of the causes of the shortage. Recently, I interviewed the nanny that has been working for almost 30 years with my family. Her name is Sari Perez. She was born in Colombia, but she has been living all her life in Venezuela, where she met her husband and raised her children. She is literally a second mom to me. She lived and experienced both periods of Venezuela the one that existed before the disasters and the one that came right after (now). Aileen- Do you easily find the basic products in the supermarkets? Sari- Since three years ago, it has been more and more difficult to find food at the supermarkets. Nowadays my husband and I have to visit many supermarkets to find a basic product and when we find it, we have an extremely limited selection of quantity as well as quality. Aileen- How long approximately it takes to enter and exit the supermarket? 3
Sari- Many hours. I only have time to go to the market on Saturday or Sunday; because the other days I have to work. Lately, going to the supermarket takes me between 4 to 6 hours, and this does not ensure me that I will find the product I am looking for. Aileen- What is the people s reaction to this? Sari- Unfortunately, we have to be satisfied with this because we do not have any other option; unless being rich and paying ridiculous amounts for our food. Also, because of the hunger, people have become more violent and this is a factor that has greatly contributed to increasing insecurity in the country. Aileen- What do you think is the reason why the shortage started? Sari- Because the Government ordered to close private businesses, and enterprises who were producing those ingredients. The queues have been the best friend of all the Venezuelans; not only from the supermarkets; also from the banks, pharmacies, cafeterias, etc. According to the Central Bank, On average, the basic products are not in 22.2 tents from Venezuela. These Venezuelans that wait impatiently for grocery stores to open, only to see which scarce products arrive, and to realize that they will only be enough for the "lucky" few who got there first. This is the result of the biggest oil boom in Venezuelan history that is managed by populists and socialists. According to a video called Why Venezuelans don t trust their own currency by Nicholas Ibarguen; published in fusion.net on September. 02, 2015, another struggle that the Venezuelans have been confronting is the imposing control from the government of the currency at a fixed exchange rate. The problem is that the official rate is much lower than the black market rate. And the black market rate is always changing. For example, from one week ago, the black market dollar was BsF. 746,30 and the government rate was BsF. 182,76. Today, the black market dollar is BsF 817,65. As you can see, the rate is constantly changing per day. On the Black Market, the rate is around 820 bolivars for one dollar. This is the Increase in the cost of living in Venezuela: 30 minimum wage, 46.5 clothes and footwear, 124 basic family basket, and 263 supplies and school uniforms. 4
Google Images This is a currency rates table that lets you compare an amount in US Dollar to Venezuelan s currency. Leopoldo Lopez is a political leader democrat Venezuelan activist. He is the leader of a political party called Voluntad Popular which promotes peace, wellbeing and progress. As we all know, he is now unfairly living in prison for starting a peaceful protest addressing all the problems the Venezuelans are currently facing. According to an article named Venezuela s Failing State, by Leopoldo Lopez. Published by: The New York Times on March. 25. 2014, we found our country with one of the highest murder rates in the Western Hemisphere, with a 57 percent inflation rate and the worst scarcity of basic goods that a country can have without being in an active war. If my imprisonment applies to the awakening of a people (...) will be worth my infamous prison," Lopez said at a rally in a Caracas square where thousands of fans welcomed him as a leader. Venezuela, in its good times, was an amazing country. Venezuela was a happy, calm, and pleasant country. People in Venezuela had a different life from the one that the Venezuelan population has now. Venezuela is in a crisis where the real issue consists of huge economic problems that lead to more problems. Venezuela s current disorder is a tremendous issue in its history. There is no possibility of future development if the country doesn t manage to get the conditions to make it look attractive for others to work and live. This country s current crisis, no matter how hard one tries to explain it, is impossible to understand. It is the country with the biggest oil reserves in the world, yet people can t find toilet paper in the supermarkets. It is at the same time one of the most expensive, and of the cheapest countries of the world. It is a country where, even though 5
there are many adversities, its people stay hopeful for a better future. Google Images The beauty of the Venezuelan waving flag in the sky. 6