The Grim New Daily Life in Venezuela

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Hello, dear readers.

All the happenings in the last events have been so twisted that it is not easy to even write about them.

I hope you understand. It has been such a bizarre experience that I honestly didn’t know where to start.

For safety reasons, I will write exclusively about how we are enduring this unbelievable experience.

The circumstances surrounding us are more than known for most of us. I hope some new readers have joined, and there is more than enough information available in the links at the end of the article so they can have a certain context.

This being said, let’s begin.

The Reality

The disruption of regular life as we know it is not the “political” kind of one. It’s not exactly a “crisis“. It is a situation that could potentially lead to doors being knocked down in a house-by-house killing spree, just like what is happening in Bangladesh.

A coup de tat.

It’s the imposition of a narrative, at gunpoint. In other states, some isolated cases have happened, but most of the turmoil and the severe consequences are in the larger cities.

The possibility of starting on solid ground with my engraved portraits and signs business is now a fantasy until new notice. Just like when it happened in 2014 when I wanted to start over, the tremendous hyperinflation wiped out all possibilities of it taking off.

I am starting to wonder what kind of curse is behind me. It can’t be possible that every time I try to make a business work, our environment crumbles around us…twice in a row.

I thought some time ago that my finances couldn’t ever go that bad again. I was wrong. Now I’m seeing a rock-solid bottom coming fast.  And there is no safety net this time.

How am I holding up?

Barely. The economy was not that good, especially in the oil sector jobs, but this is incredible.

How people can afford to eat out at a restaurant is a real mystery to me. I wonder how some are visiting coffee shops and bakeries as if everything is normal.

Guys in expensive sports footwear are driving their luxury Japanese SUVs looking down at my worn-out jeans, T-shirt, and national-made boots. These are the people who make me think the money laundering business is way more widespread than we would think. Honest, wealthy people are more humble. Or, at least, they are more discreet.

Worse than 2017

Not many. This is so much worse than 2017. There are no oil and gas facilities maintenance contracts. Working in oilfields nowadays under the current conditions, with everybody trying to get money out of everything, exhibits some additional hazards to the already extensive list.

There is an enormous risk of being stopped by a patrol and getting searched and planted or accused of “strategic material smuggling.” Whatever they want to say that material is.

It has happened, so extra precautions are needed.

One day at a time

Meanwhile, we await in our little corner for things to clear up, with the Internet as our only tethered connection to the world for entertainment, personal communication, and information gathering.

This is looking more and more like those bizarre post-apocalyptic video games. Sure, after 2020, anything looks possible. These are “interesting times,” like the old Chinese curse.

For those wondering, I have rationed my calorie intake as much as I can without feeling weakened. My child can eat whatever they want. Until we can get some beef again, proteins are mostly pork chops (more expensive), chicken, eggs, and cheese. Fish is not so cheap as we’re away from the sea, and my attempts to cook salty fish have been slightly disappointing. It always remains bitter even after soaking in the fridge from the day before. However, mixing it with ripe plantains seems a good combination with rice and some beans to provide more filling. The sweetness of the ripe fruit is a good counterpart with the stronger fish taste.

I want to emphasize the following aspects.

Good-tasting food is important when you’re under a mental stress situation, far more important than what one would believe.

I can see it because no matter how, my child will be in a good mood after a tasty meal and start making plans for “when all this is finally over”.

Like places my child wants to visit (Colonia Tovar) and beaches we haven’t discovered yet.

This is why in offshore rigs and other similar facilities, like camps in the middle of nowhere (according to what some people in the foreign military say, also) the food is usually quite good. I know that most of the oil companies provide great catering.

Take note of this. Properly fed, your choices will be easier.

The modus operandi of the repression teams

They act in large packs, faces covered, and mostly in the dark.

Most of the targets in the capital and major cities follow a pattern. Mind you I’m a fan of patterns, you already know that. And this is as follows: it’s not like they’re particularly interested in getting their paws on a Mr. Nobody. They want middle-weight fighters of what they call the “Ultra-Right Wing” Parties.

Some analysts say the kidnapped people will be used as bargain chips in the negotiations. How this will result for them is indeed unknown. The youngsters they’ve kept after the turmoil are just a part of the psyops to inspire terror in the general population.

However, word in the streets is that this is generating the contrary effect. The thirst for justice is increasing silently in the heart of every Venezuelan and is stronger than ever.

Once a task force team under your command disappears someone, wiping him/her off the face of the Earth, and without the assistance of a lawyer, it’s automatically a crime. 

Ways To Stay Safe

What we’re doing (my family and some friends) is using concealing methods to avoid being targeted. That includes zero social media exposure, and staying in the shadows until the dust settles.

Many youngsters allowed their rage to take them down the wrong path, and the beast got them.

We’re not Ukrainians and never had such problems since the middle of the XIX Century, other than the 1958 coup de tat, which resulted in a truly wonderful era.

The organization of a real resistance is probably the best course of action by now, but this is unlikely. The migration of traumatized Italians, Portuguese, and Spanish survivors of WW2 who ran scared at the first shot, added to a total lack of responsibilities for those too happy with the triggers of the State weaponry, resulted in a big deal of damage in the collective dynamics as a response to this.

Mind you, the main ones responsible (they stay in the shadows in the fortified center of Caracas) are a very dangerous organization whose extension is unknown to the general public,. They have ties and deep connections to other ones operating in countries like Mexico. They seem to have a lot of medals BTW. That’s why Lopez Obrador, the Mexican president has been so incredibly shameless when dealing with the whole single fact that unleashed these events: declaring the loser candidate (illegal candidate because he should have passed down the Presidential position and figure) as a “winner”.

Effects of the instability

There is no beef in the butcheries nearby except for the most distantbutcher shops. (I had to walk a lot to get there)

Food prices increased in the Western cities.

Fear of the people is tremendous when dealing with armed (unidentified) corps in the streets.

The economy is taking a toll. Nobody is hiring, and projects are at full stop.

The only merchandise sales operating seem to be bakeries, supermarkets and other basic goods.

A city council has broadcast that “their bank accounts were hacked and emptied,” adding fuel to the already-burning fire.

Utilities still unaffected

Power grid running…

Water grid active…

Communications…

Gasoline supply steady (we have a small car, and keep it full)…

This is in a city with a population of 500K, give or take. A million, maybe, in the entire state.

We are not in the best shape. After receiving hit after hit, the last ten years have been a storm of nasty material. This event and its consequences, however, are the outcome of a very long process.

The way I see it now, the only alternative to live decently without any job, trade, or a similar income means, seems to have some chickens, goats, porks, poultry, whatever…and produce your own food. With all the hard labor and problems this can bring along by itself, ranging from gangs asking for products in exchange for “protection” (if it happens in New York…) to plain neighbors stealing at night.

Talking about stories…it seems there is a lot more that was swept under the rug.

Links:

https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/video/manifestantes-venezuela-operacion-tuntun-perspectivas-mexico-tv/

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/08/venezuelas-berlin-wall-moment/679399/

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/09/tech/maduro-musk-x-twitter-ban-intl/index.html

There is more and more evidence that they are attempting a coup de tat and it’s not working.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/09/americas/venezuela-election-results-experts-improbability-intl-latam/index.html

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/andres-oppenheimer/article290812789.html

And finally

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/08/venezuela-crimes-demand-urgent-action-icc-prosecutor/

This ICC “prosecutor” hasn’t even shown in the whole mess. His boss should suspend him without any pay and start a thorough investigation to see why he’s so quiet. He jumped to Netanyahu’s throat the next day after the Prime Minister went full Thanos over Gaza, but hasn’t said a thing about us.

Maybe you would like to write him or reach him in his social media perhaps?

Thanks for your support, people!

For those willing to send some sponsoring, it will be very welcomed.

Things are going to be bad these next few weeks.

See you soon!

About Jose

Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has an old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Jose and his younger kid are currently back in Venezuela, after the intention of setting up a new life in another country didn’t  go well. The SARSCOV2 re-shaped the labor market and South American economy so he decided to give it a try to homestead in the mountains, and make a living as best as possible. But this time in his own land, and surrounded by family, friends and acquaintances, with all the gear and equipment collected, as the initial plan was.

 Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon. Donations: paypal.me/JoseM151