(Un)Happy 11th Venezuela

Yesterday marked the end of my first month here – it’s strange how quickly time has gone by, but at the same time it feels like years ago when I think about life in New York. It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post and I feel like way too much has happened for me to get everything down properly in one post, but I never have time to write aside from these quiet Sunday evenings so I’ll just see what comes out on this page.

As I’ve mentioned, for better or worse, I unknowingly came to Venezuela at a particularly turbulent time. Though things have always been pretty chaotic here, the sense I get from talking to my students about the present economic and political situation in this country is nothing short of apocalyptic. The 4th of February marked the 11th year since Chavez was inaugurated as president, and the past week has seen a number of marches and protests here in Caracas and throughout the country; some were peaceful, like the one I accidentally got caught up in on my way home from work (see picture), and others violent – in one incident that even showed up on the news online (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/28/venezuelan-protests-polic_n_441098.html?igoogle=1), many were injured and even killed when a demonstration got out of control.


It’s been a little unnerving living in the midst of all this, like when I received a text from my boss about a riot taking place nearby while I was teaching a class, or when I saw live videos on the news of protesters engulfed in tear gas in nearby districts. It’s especially painful to think that many of these protests are being led by college students just like myself, whose hopes and dreams of a fulfilling life are being destroyed each day by a government that is running the country into the ground. I’ve never been really active for a political cause and it makes me wonder if I would have the courage to do what they’re doing. It’s disturbing to think about being in their situation - at my age no less - being forced to fight for many of the privileges I take for granted at home: for example, not having to sacrifice the direction of my career for the sake of exercising my right to vote for who I want, or being able to leave the country whenever I please. Though admittedly, my understanding of the situation is superficial, I can’t help but feel that “socialism” here has degenerated into a simple dictatorship. Driving through this city, with its gigantic malls and fast food chains and public works of art, you’d never question that the people here enjoy all of the modern conveniences we do in the US; and in some ways, they do – blackberries and twitter and cosmetic surgery are here for everyone to enjoy (at least those with money). But some of the more fundamental elements that allow a society to function are compromised or missing altogether: things like access to reliable information of events in and out of the country; a stable way to preserve the value of the money you earn; or the incentive or even the means to solve the problems faced by its citizens without relying on a corrupt and ineffective government – problems like double-digit inflation or scarcity of basic necessities like electricity and water. Any organization, whether banks or TV networks or hospitals, that threaten to take power away from the government have been or are in the process of being taken over. A friend told me about how one of the most successful companies in the most critical industry in the country, oil, was overtaken (and subsequently ruined by incompetent government replacements) after a failed strike against the president about ten years ago. Through my job I’ve had the opportunity to speak with students and professionals from all walks of life – executives, accountants, pilots, lawyers, architects, high school students, business majors, designers, petrochemical engineers, economists – and not one of them has uttered a word of praise for Chavez. The question on everyone’s mind now seems to be: “When are things going to change?” But after 11 years of watching their country regress, people here don’t seem to have much optimism for change – only frustration, anger, doubt, and fear.

Sorry for such a depressing entry, but I’ve been wanting to organize my thoughts about everything I’ve learned about this country in the past month. Rest assured, there are plenty of things to enjoy in Venezuela and I’ve managed to have an amazing time so far. But this experience has already been worth the time just for the perspective I’ve gained on my own country, and how much more I can appreciate the life I have waiting for me once I return. Hopefully I can write soon about the more positive experiences I’ve had lately. Thanks for reading, I’d love to hear from you!