Que Pasa Con Venezuela

If you’ve taken the time to learn about me, first, thank you, and second, you may know I’m Venezuelan. I came to the States when I was only two years old, so I don’t really remember living there. I started grade school in Miami, Florida and finished my education by graduating from the best university in the world (hook’em!) here in Texas. Every friend I have, I met in the States or while in Europe. I’ve never been back to Venezuela. I think it would’ve been very easy for me to lose my roots if it hadn’t been for my mom who ensured my sister and I kept our Spanish and instilled in us a love for waking up to arepas and salsa music on Saturday mornings.

I have been blessed with the pride that comes with being Venezuelan. With that pride comes a responsibility, which I think I need to own up to. That responsibility is sharing the crisis that’s going on there currently.

To be honest, I’ve been nervous to write this. I’m by no means an expert in Venezuela’s politics nor in its history. I’ve been fearful that I’ll get a fact wrong no matter how many times I double check or link a source. I’ve been fearful that no one will care. But, I’m putting those fears aside. The fears of Venezuelans in their own country are far greater. 

I hear the worries of my relatives who live there, unsure about their future. I see how my mom’s eyes shift from cozy nostalgia to gloom when she shares her childhood stories — she knows if she went back to the setting of that memory it wouldn’t look the same. I hear the news documenting Venezuelans literally dying for their basic rights. I see people’s confusion when I say, “Yeah, it’s been 21 years now since I’ve been in Venezuela… It’s really bad there.” They have no idea what’s going on.

So, I’m using my voice to share a very basic explanation of the current state of my beloved homeland. There is much more information I could include, but I’m condensing what I can into a little blog post. That said, I hope this still sparks conversations, questions, an eagerness to learn more, and a drive to help. If I get anything factually wrong, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to correct it. Again, I’m no expert. I’m just someone who wants to speak up for those who can’t and one day visit the land of her roots without fear.

The Beginning

My family emigrated from Venezuela in 1997. Hugo Chavez became president in 1999 and was in power until he died in 2013. While many see him as widely hated, he was actually quite liked by the working class, at least at first. The people were restless and felt things were at a standstill, and he promised he would do the things they wanted. He was different, entertaining even. Under Chavez, the unemployment and poverty rates were cut in half. However, his “democracy” resembled a dictatorship where he held a tight grip on his power, limiting the press and any checks of balances in place. He chose his supporters to make up important bodies of government and brought about unconstitutional changes to the actual constitution. Among these was the Political Party Law which established the crime of electoral fraud — it prevented individuals or political parties from turning against Chavez.

After more than a decade in power, Chavez was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and died in March of 2013. In those two years, details on his illness, treatment, and ultimate death were kept from the public.

Maduro + Present-Day

The government has been headed by Nicolas Maduro, Chavez’s handpicked successor, ever since Chavez’s death. Chosen for his similar ideals, Maduro values power over the people’s basic rights and has quickly thrown away what little democracy was left in the socialist government Chavez started. He has sent many who oppose him to prison, including journalists, and elections continue to be rigged. On top of everything, he nullified and stripped the national assembly of power.

Maduro has also led Venezuela’s once resource-rich and wealthy economy into disarray. To be fair, it’s not all Maduro’s fault. Chavez never made any attempts to help Venezuela diversify their economy, relying heavily on oil. While Chavez was lucky to witness an oil boom during his time as president, Maduro has only seen the crash of oil prices and with it Venezuela’s wealth.

Deadly protests have been going on since 2014. People, the majority of them students, have taken to the streets to speak up against Maduro’s government who they blame for the issues. So what issues are Venezuelans dealing with on the daily? Apart from striking corruption, the annual inflation rate reached 80,000 percent in 2018, food shortages are the norm, crime continues to rise, and the lack of health assistance means arriving at the hospital doesn’t mean you’re safe, it just means you might not die in your own home.

Fast forward to January 23, Venezuela saw violent protests in various parts of the country. It resulted in the leader of the legislature, thirty-five year old Juan Guaidó, declaring himself as the temporary president and said he would assume the powers of the executive branch. Note: It wasn’t like when Michael Scott declared bankruptcy. Guaidó was elected by Venezuelans to be their representative until democratic elections can be insured. The U.S. officially recognized Guaidó as Venezuela’s president, as did Canada, Argentina, Spain, and many other countries.

Real Life People

This is how the humanitarian crisis has impacted the family I still have there:

-My uncle has lost 60 pounds due to the food shortages. His sunken face, once plump and rosy, reveals the struggle of having to provide for his three kids during this time. People wait in grocery store lines for hours only to find there’s either nothing left or whatever is left costs too much to buy. When things run out, an option is the black market, both illegal and dangerous. To put this in perspective, in August a roll of toilet paper cost 2,600,000 bolivares, the equivalent of $10 USD. The minimum wage salary per month right now is about $9.50 USD. Do you see a problem there?

-My cousin was on her bus ride from work when the man sitting beside her was shot at in a robbery attempt. She was able to get home physically fine but emotionally shaken.

-Last but not least, my half sister got a form of pneumonia and needed medicine to treat it. Not only is finding medicine already difficult and also expensive to buy, but her doctor had immigrated without notifying anyone. More than two million people have left Venezuela since 2014, and thousands continue to leave every day.

The Bottom Line

Venezuelans are seeking basic human rights, democratically, what you and I might take for granted almost daily. This is not a coup or a fight between political parties. Joanna Hausmann does a great job of explaining what’s going on there, far better than I could, in the Youtube video linked. Check it out if you can. It’s only 5 minutes.

Some of you might ask: Well, why doesn’t your family just leave?

I have two questions in response:

• Where would they go? Migrant camps have been attacked in surrounding countries, so there’s a safety risk to consider. Plus, locals of those countries are mad that there is such an influx of immigrants resulting in stricter border control (familiar?) — that doesn’t seem like a welcoming pull factor to me.
• How would they get there? If it’s difficult to provide food for their families on the daily, do you think they’re able to save for travel and moving expenses?

With that, I’ll give you a simple answer to the original question: Because it’s their home. My grandma has lived there her whole life. Eighty-four years. And although I can hear the frustration in her voice as she waits in line for sugar, comparing her shopping experience to when she visited us in the U.S. a year ago, there are no signs of her wanting to leave. It is her home. It is where she met my grandpa, raised five kids, and continues to embark on her life’s journey.

My grandfather passed away before we even left for the states and before he could see the distress Chavez would cause. I know he’s watching over us and protecting the family, but I sometimes wonder what he’d do if he were here, seeing the brokenness firsthand. I know for sure he would never leave Venezuela behind.

I myself can’t do much, but I can spread awareness and help my relatives however I can. All I ask of anyone reading is that y’all stay aware and ask questions.

I’d also like to note that this doesn’t make me any less proud to be Venezuelan. For me being Venezuelan means I’m usually laughing, obnoxiously at that, regardless of the hardships going on in my life. It means I’m a fan of making empanadas or arepas whenever the craving strikes because it’s always the right time for some fried deliciousness. It means that if a salsa bop comes on, I must make a beeline to the dance floor and proceed to get lost in the rhythm. (Scratch that — I was probably already on the dance floor.) It also means your only two volumes for singing are loud and louder, even if you’re tone deaf. It means rooting on Miss Venezuela during the Miss Universe pageant even when we’ve already won the year before BECAUSE WE’VE ALREADY WON BACK TO BACK, BABY, (see year 2009) SO WHO SAYS WE CAN’T AGAIN. It means inviting your friend over for dinner even when you’re low on funds yourself because it’s the right thing to do, and kindness brings abundance. It means finding a reason to celebrate every day because you know every day is counted and you never know when it may be your last.