Fatherland
“Fatherland, socialism or
death! We shall prevail!” This is a slogan that feels like a slap on the face,
which makes people feel panic and the worst, a slogan which divided a country
into two. In 1999, Hugo Chávez was elected as the president of Venezuela.
People believed in change, or I should say, some of them. Before this election,
Venezuela had been having economic and insecurity problems. In 2000, after Chávez
changed the constitution, the price of the oil reached the highest level in
Venezuelan history. The Venezuelan economy stopped, and a lot of Venezuelans
were asking for Chávez’s renouncement in 2002. Almost all Venezuelan people
were demanding for answers and solutions because there was a huge income but
there were no changes in living standards, no improvement. The insecurity was increasing
and people started to segregate according to different ideas, Chávez supporters
and opponents. Because of this, the Venezuelan people were tired and started to
make decisions: stay and fight, or go away and find a new life. Some people
could not believe that an ideology could divide a country into two, increase
the insecurity and dismantle the economy of our country.
"With the Bolivarian Revolution, Venezuela took the needed impulse" |
Due to
this change of political ideology, the Venezuelan people have separated into
two groups: Chávez supporters and the opposition. Moreover, people have become
intolerant of those who think differently. If someone is pro-government, he or
she does not tolerate another one who is against the government and vice versa.
Families who have members who think differently have had problems because of what
I call, Ideology Virus. Until 2002, my uncle had supported the Chavez
government. In every single family meeting, we disputed about our differences
of political opinion. Also, in other families, the situation has been
different, sometimes more extremist. Some family’s members have stopped talking,
have fought and even some marriages have broken up because of differences of
political opinion. Moreover, only those that support the president can find
work in government jobs. Those companies will ask for a PSUV card (which in
English means, United Socialist Party of Venezuela) or any other proof that one
is in favor of the government. Furthermore, if you are working for some of
those companies, you will have to do some proselytizing. My aunt works in one
of those companies, and she is constantly the victim of verbal attacks just
because her co-workers know that she does not support the regime.
"There are our brothers for the progress" "There are enemies to the war" |
One
thing is certain: the level of insecurity has changed. No doubt about it. Life
is worse than before Chávez. People who voted for Chávez thought that he would
be disciplined and that he would put Venezuela in order, just because he was in
the army. However, the opposite has occurred. There is more corruption, more
criminality and more deaths. When people do not have trust in the system, they
feel unsafe in any situation. I do not know if I have more fear of robber than
a policeman. Several times when I was in Venezuela I was pulled over and asked
for my papers, ID, driver license and car documents. A few minutes later an
officer said “these documents are fakes. I cannot read the serial of the car”
so he had to take my car to the office and then he said to me that if I helped
him with something to eat, he would let me go. That is bribery. That is
corruption. That is insecurity. Furthermore, going outside is more dangerous
every day. When I used my phone on the street, on a bus or in subway, I could
be assaulted. Actually it has happened to me already. Express kidnapping is
something that Venezuelan people have unfortunately been hearing more
frequently. Sadly this has happened to a few friends of mine. The worst thing
is that in any of those situations that I have described, one could die. In
fact, every year more Venezuelan people die at the hands of criminals than by
natural causes.
Accumulated killings. Official government records |
Even though
since 2000 Venezuelan oil has reached the highest price in the country’s
history, Venezuela still has an unstable economy, and the insecurity in the
country, in every single branch, is still growing. Because of the oil price and
its revenue, Venezuela produces almost nothing. In Venezuela almost everything
is imported, and this always has been in this way. Nevertheless, this situation
has increased more with this government and they even are not doing it well.
When I was a child, I remember my mother asking me to go to the store to buy
milk and I always answered her “which brand and what kind?” Nowadays this has
changed. Now people buy whatever milk they find in the supermarket. They cannot
choose. When people finally find milk in some store, they cannot buy the amount
of milk they want; usually there is a maximum of a bottle per person. Besides
that, there are not enough imported goods. Now Venezuela produces less. Before the
Chavez regime in a supermarket, people could find for example, Venezuelan
tomatoes and imported tomatoes, Venezuelan lettuce and imported lettuce. Now only
imported products are available. The government has not invested money to
increase the Venezuelan economy.
“Fatherland, socialism or
death! We shall prevail!” Now Venezuelan people totally understand it. It means
that some people have lost their fatherland because have had to move to another
country, like my family. It means that if someone does not agree with socialism,
that one has to pay the consequences. Death however, was the most obvious and
least expected. Death means death. It is impossible to calculate with precision
the amount of Venezuelans who have died since 1999, and sometimes I think I do
not want to know the truth. Since Chávez was in power, and now with Nicolás Maduro
as president, Venezuela has experienced division and segregation. This brand of
socialism has divided families, bringing fights and migration to other
countries. The government’s decision to maintain a policy of only importing
goods and not investing in domestic production has caused nationwide shortages.
Besides the lack of prevention and safety programs make Venezuela an unsafe and
dangerous place. I hope one day, sooner than later, all these changes and all
Venezuelans around the world can come back to Venezuela to rebuild our country,
our fatherland, because “We shall prevail”.
"I'm not scared of you anymore" |
Hey Andres
ReplyDeleteThat was a very interesting essay. The situation in my country is sort of like this, so I understand the situation in Venezuela. I hope it gets better and all Venezuelans have a life they deserve.
HI Andres.
ReplyDeleteThis essay is really impressed. I do not know that Venezuela has suffered difficult situation which you mentioned. I hope your country is going to be stable social system.
Hi katelin. I really understand what your essay talking about. I think our country will be better in the future.
ReplyDelete