How is the living in Venezuela? (Original story from a Venezuelan young man)

mynameisricky (65)in #life • 8 years ago (edited)

Yesterday I drinked a few beers with a friend near to my house, I really had absolutely nothing to do at the time, I was bored so I decided to call him.

We had a long time without seeing each other, and given the occasion I decided to call one of them (my friends) to get together and talk for a while.

The first to arrive was Carl. And without wait for much time, we uncover the first beer to start our conversation, as it was a long time we didn’t talk face to face.

It was warm in the place at the time, and really the best remedy for heat is a very very cold beer, here in Venezuela we know much about that.

We started talking about trivial issues, something that two normal boys would talk regularly.

We started talking about sports and its current events, then moved to the subject of music; we even talk about women and other topics like money and much more.

Until eventually (and inevitably) we got the most controversial topic of all in these days: Politics and the current situation in our country.

Over the last 2 years I've been forced to say goodbye to several friends, close friend or not so close.

I saw them leave in search of better living conditions, better opportunities and the most important of all ... In search of freedom.

But freedom in what? That’s a key question isn’t it?

Well, while we were drinking beers, the political topic got a little bit denser, more intense.

And how not? If this day all Venezuelans are victims of the excessive power of the government over us. So, Carl asked me if I wanted to leave the country as well.

Without thinking it too much, I said yes. And actually I was desperate to go somewhere else.

He asked me why. And I was mentioning a few of the many reasons why I, and many other citizens of Venezuela would take the option of emigrating no matter what.

For my friends abroad who are reading this post I will share briefly some reasons that I gave Carl yesterday while we drank a few beers.

The first one could be excessive crime. Law enforcement authorities are null, or are simply side of the crime, so, the justice in Venezuela is really nonexistent.

Government outlawed the carrying of weapons (which I think it makes no sense anywhere) leaving defenseless citizens against so many murderers.

Because if a president makes the carrying of weapons illegal, a murderer will not really pay much attention to that so stupid law.

The only thing that is achieved outlawing weapons, is to create a black market for selling it. But who are those who buy into this black market? Yeah of course… Murderers, thieves and other kind of criminals.

I, as a libertarian, believe in non-agression principle. Only for self-defense.

Today in Venezuela they can literally take your life for something as simple as a cell phone, shoes, a watch or even a bag of food, a fuckin bag of food.

That’s our level of misery. So ... That's what is called living? Of course not, that's what is called surviving, that’s what is called MISERY. What about the right to life? HAHAH be careful out there dude.

Another reason has to be the impossibility to achieve your goals in this country. It's simply impossible.

Each day running, the Venezuelan currency depreciates more and more, no matter how much and hard you work, the salary will never purchase a lot. Save money? HAHAH that's already considered something silly, something stupid to save money in Venezuelan currency.

The Venezuelan who wants to save money just has to do it in a foreign currency, as the dollar perhaps. This of course makes stealing, killing by a telephone, etc ... Be more profitable than earn it on the honestly way.

To that you can add that the police are nonexistent, and you will get as a result an increasing crime rate. Let me ask you again, is it living? No, it is real misery.

But that is not everything. The current government of socialist ideology, have had a war with private companies since they came to power in 1998.

Putting them stupid regulations, price regulations for products, forcing merchants to sell below the cost of production.

When governments implement these measures what happens? For the businessman or merchant will be impossible to invest in that country, as it has no sense to work and invest money to lose money, it doesn’t make any sense. Because of this, today Venezuela is suffering the hardest food and medicines in their history.

The country with the largest oil reserves today is in famine conditions in several places.

It is as if there had been several earthquakes, but actually there was just one ... The earthquake of socialism.

I have friends who once used to be fat, and now they are skinny.

Let's talk about the last reason, I don’t want to make this post so large.

Let's talk about the hope for the future. Venezuelan "opposition" is as socialist as is the government. Same ideology, but different thieves.

That’s it. 17 years of the same mindset would be very hard to change.

If tomorrow comes a different president, different government, probably will take many years to turn into a great Venezuela (In the social topic).

After I told all of this to Carl, you can know for sure that he is in the same situation as me. And trust me; I am not one of few men who are desperate to run away.

Now let me ask again… Freedom for what?

Freedom to do with the fruit of my work and effort whatever I want.

Freedom to live in normal conditions.

Freedom to choose the job you like.

Freedom to go out the street and walk around with no fear.

Freedom to succeed or fail, having in mind that is in your control to do one of those.

Venezuela once a time was a very good country, beautiful.

Freedom is something very expensive right now, it could be very hard to get for us.

But the way I see it is that a man born to be free. A man born to live the life he wants.

Even if I leave family and friends behind (with the pain from the bottom of my heart), I am willing to pay the price to get my own freedom, my way out of this madness.

Images taken from pixabay.com