RE: Ulog #074 | Saying Good Bye to my Daughter
Hi, @owasco. Thanks for stopping by. She may be gone for a long time, given the current circumstances.
In Chile she will spend only 5 days. In Brazil, hopefully she will attend college and pursue a career, maybe move to the States when she is financially independent. That's the plan.
Venezuela is not home anymore. We feel like perfect strangers here. We, fools, trying to impose an imperialist mentality of efficiency, honesty, cleanliness, beauty, order, peace and quiet. We are seen as snobs.
I remember when we came back and Vivian started first grade in Puerto Ordaz while I found a place to rent in Cumaná. She spoke broken spanish and she was always complaining to the teacher about her classmates habits (agressiveness, theft, bullying, etc.) and the teacher approached me and told me that she needed to accept that things were the way they were here; that she was not special.
We have stayed all these years for different reasons, none of which being our solid belief that things are getting any better any time soon.
I wanted my children to love this country, but this country is spitting its children up.
I am bereft to hear this. But I have some questions. Who thinks you are snobs? Why you? Where did you live before moving back to Venezuela?
In this country (US), we are harming the children with vaccines, even before they have a chance to walk.
It's everywhere in different forms. All governments ultimately become traps of, by, and for humans.
Yes, I am fully aware of how governments in different parts of the world can harm the citizens they are meant to protect. The thing is that in some countries the influence of the government in every aspect of life, the importance of politics in your daily life is not so ubiquitous. In the 7 years we spent in the States my two daughters were born. They lacked nothing (especially medical attention). We were treated well.
I guess we were lucky and college towns do not speak for the whole country, but still, that was our experience and it was a possitive one for my family.
In the last 20 years, the populist governments started by Chavez developed an anti-imperialist/nationalist rhetoric. This rhetoric, among other things, emphasized the importance of our indigenous peoples and customs (go ask our indians how well they've been treated https://www.survivalinternational.org/news/12090 ) and a rejection of anything foreign (including clothing/fashion, technology, traditions, food, etc). This has always been a cynical attitude considering that every government official enjoys the goodies of capitalism and they are not afraid of bragging about it. There are hundreds of images that have circulated of their shopping sprees in the capitalist malls of the world, etc.
Any behavior that tended to criticize their totalitarism,their corruption, their contradictions, their destruction of our health and educational systems, their political persecution, their improvisation, and their mediocracy was seen as pro-yankee, pro capitalism, pro-empire, in short, as treason.
The fact that we had lived in the US (while I attended grad school) only made it worse, but you do not even need to have traveled abroad to be considered a classist pig here.
The poor population, which increased dramatically (because now it includes the middle class) during populist governments that promised to even the odds and vindicate the poor and downtrodden, is supposed to embrace poor things, broken things, dirty things. How dare you demand a clean hospital? (I hope I can get the pictures from ours, I gotta make that post).
Our children are denied everything these days. You have to hear the stories of the women delivering their children in subhuman conditions at hospitals that look like war zones; if the infant and the mother survive the hospital, they have to face the costs of those vital first months. Only the rich can afford the full diet and supplies needed. Then, the medical checkouts/visits, just out of budget (the free places crowded and filthy--kids may be healthy and leave sick after being in contact with contaminated facilities). Then comes schooling, recreation, and we can go on and on listign the things they cannot afford.
Thank you for that considered response!
I didn't mean to suggest we have it just as bad, I hope you didn't think that. But our rights and freedoms here are fast eroding with the ascent of socialist sentiments and I fear we are on the same path as Venezuela. Our LGBTQ population perhaps is being used as the indigenous was used in Venezuela to "prime" us into believing a government led by the Socialist Democrats would be somehow kinder and more fair than that of Trump's, for instance. If it were to come to mining for gold (as in the case of the Pemon) they would no longer be considered worthy of such protection (that's a stretch of an analogy but I hope you know what I mean). Meanwhile, we the ordinary citizens spend more and more time proving we have complied with all the laws.
Medical treatment is fine for those of us with common illnesses. But it is exorbitantly expensive for those with illnesses that are more serious, putting treatment out of reach for a great many, even those with insurance. The hospitals might be gleaming, but actual care is a hard thing to find and pay for - you will be "treated" only for the condition you were admitted for and must leave and return if something else is found while you were there the first time. It's getting absurd. With vaccines harming all the children, red flag laws being passed, gun control coming at us HARD, life for me has become a frightful thing.
I still have my home, plenty of food, music, art and relative safety so for now we are limping along.
Questions: do you support the current actions of the US in Venezuela? In the tiny bit of research I just did into the Pemon, I found the corporate name ARCO, an American oil company now under the auspices of BP. Are they related?
Yankee has become a euphemism for American? To me it means from the northeast of the US.
Not at all, I totally understand what you meant and I agree with you that people in the States, as well as in any other part of the developed world, should be really alarmed at the way people's rights and social equality is being handled.
I do not have the facts and figures, but I'm sure social inequality's gap must be widening everywhere.
I know about the terminal/chronic illness issues when it comes to insurance. In fact, I never understood why insurance companies did not cover pre-existing conditions. As I said, we were lucky we did not need medical attention for serious diseases. It is a tragedy for me that the american government can be so lenient and accommodating with corporate america at the expense of people's suffering.
I have not research this ARCO company you mention. I don't know if it is involved in the gold exploitation in venezuela. I don't think so.
The whole project is called "arco minero", I guess because of the shape of the territory involved. As far as I know Russia and China are the ones with companies doing the looting of the gold, but I would not be surprised if other "bipolar" countries such as Spain or France are also involved. I know how dirty international politics has historically been. I would notbe surprised if one day the americans tell the chinese and russians, "look, we'll let you keep your business, we'll split the goodies, just help us get rid of him." And the next day Maduro will miraculously state that he thought it through and he has decided to step aside so that the country can move in a different direction.
About the Yankee, yes, it has a historic meaning in the US, but in latinamerica it refers to any gringo, as part of the socialist/communist rhetoric.
I support any innitiative that can put an end to the Maduro/chavista regimen, but since January we have been told that his days are counted. The counter must allow for a very long number of day. In the mean time people die ona daily basis because the crisis gets worse while politicians meet in expensive hotels and enjoy expensive drinks trying to come up with an idea that would not make them look too cynical.
With all the crimes and acts of corruption the chavistas have commited I just cannot understand why it has been so difficult for any country that says they want to help to just do something convincing and definite.
Because they all want to be among those who come out on top in control of the resources.
Do you think, if the rest of the world left Venezuela alone, Maduro would be re-elected? Who, or what, would the people there like to see in power?
Oh, yes. He can be reelected until he dies. No question about it. They control the voting system and they have been "buying" votes for years (most public employees must vote for the government or else). Most of the 5 million people who have left the country were opposed to this government. Everything is against us now if this were to be decided in the polls.
People want new faces in government. People would like some decency back in the main office, people would like the president to stop being a charlatan promising castles in the air.
We have people who could do the job but I am not sure they will have access to power if we ever get rid of this pest. Those lobbying to substitute Maduro have shown some conflicting signs that makes me wonder how effectively they'll carry out a transition. I am not as naive as to think that nothing can be worse than this. I know this can be way worse if we get to an all out civil war, but it would be nice to just not see the faces of the same pricks who have ruined us and laugh in our faces all these years.
I am so saddened to hear this. I read so much good about Venezuelan culture here on steem, exemplar of positive attitudes.
So Guaido. What of him? Hand picked by the US. Would he be better do you think?
I'd like my country to stay out of your country's business. No country has been better off after we have interfered to my knowledge. Of course what do I mean by "better off"? I live in an American's bubble of privilege and safety, with the illusion that we have a government of by and for the people.
Is there a solution?
what a great thread this has been!
@owasco, @quillfire, @hlezama, you are masters of dialogue and intelligent discourse.