Venezuela crisis sparks protest

Mariane Ghazaleh

Venezuelan flag

Staff Writer

Americans are fortunate enough everyday to walk safely on the streets, to have plenty of essential supplies stocked in the grocery store, and to have a government that is willing to help its people. Nineteen hundred miles away, in Caracas, Venezuela, people are not so lucky. Supplies dwindle, the streets are unsafe, and the government oppresses the citizens.

The economy and rising crime have motivated Venezuelans to protest. Many of the protesters are college students and young adults who are worried about their future in their country. The inflation recorded in February of this year is 57.3%. The unemployment rate is estimated to be at 8.8%. Grocery store clerks are asking for identification at check outs. Current supplies are not being replenished, so clerks record how much each customer buys and ask that they don’t come back until the following week. This is the best way they can ensure everyone has a fair chance of getting essential supplies.  According to Bussinessweek, “Venezuela is in the No. 3 spot, after Honduras and Guatemala, as the economy most damaged by violence, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014… Venezuelan Violence Observatory, a nongovernmental organization… estimates that 24,763 people were killed last year, or 79 per 100,000 people.”  With crime plaguing the country, no jobs, money or essential supplies how can one raise a family?

The opposition started peacefully. The people requested an international mediator to reestablish democracy and get the economy back on track. The government, instead of responding to the requests, neglected to attempt a compromise. Rejecting the problem, they responded with brutal repression.

Leopoldo Martinez, who served as congressman in Venezuela’s national assembly, describes the problem by saying, “Inflation in Venezuela is the highest in the Americas … the scarcity of common goods is [common] … we don’t have what we need to make ends meet in Venezuela…. You need fundamental changes to see the country in a different direction.”