Parents

When I was in college my older sister had two children. Both of us had dark rings under our eyes, hers due to the responsibilities of being a new mom and mine from studying and partying. In spite of our different situations, she said to me, "I am so happy the college phase of my life is over". Although I didn't respond I decided she was talking nonsense because of sleep deprivation. More than a decade later I get what she meant. 

Although it must be different for each mother, things started to click for me when I felt my firstborn's kick inside. From that moment on I was a mother and the baby was foremost in my mind. By the time she was born I had a head start on my husband, months of putting someone else before me, many weeks of private companionship, days of synchronizing sleep routines, minutes of constant touching and infinite seconds of creating a bond strong enough to last a lifetime. On August 31st 2010, when Michelle was born, I was already a mom, fully prepared to take care of her while my husband got acclimated to the idea of being a father. 

Giving birth, for me, was an amazing experience that showed me the true potential of my own body. Even with very narrow hips, I gave birth to an eight pound baby after an hour and a haft of active labor (with an epidural, of course!), no c-section. This experience reconfirmed in my mind the awesome potential of a woman's body and since then, I haven't been able to shake the idea that parents develop special powers. I say parents, and not just mothers, because I have seen my husband do incredible, almost magical things, since our kids were born. Fortunately, our powers differ and even complement each other, which is why we make a great team. I am functional without sleep, he knows by memory the dosage of every medicine for each child. I know when a tantrum can be quenched by a time out or a hug, he knows when they are ready to be potty trained. My experience as a new mom has been infinitely enriched by watching him grow into an awesome dad. I find him smarter, sexier, funnier now than he has ever been. What I didn't expect is for motherhood to be this challenging and fun. I am reading and learning more now than I did in college. I am also laughing, celebrating, singing, dancing and playing more than ever before. Just like any experience in life, you get what you put in. But for me, the magic of parenthood is that we get to make the rules, that the amount of laughter, hugs and kisses depends on us, that the variety of activities, importance of family time, the presence of manners are determined by our actions and words. It is a world I get to create with my husband for the most important people in our lives... our kids. 

What happened at the OAS with Maria Corina?

The Organization of American States (OAS) is the oldest regional organization dating back to 1889. The first proponent of creating a league of nations in the region was Simon Bolivar, who believed that if the countries united they could better address invasions and global conflicts. The main objective of the OAS is stated in article 1. It is to establish “an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence.” Unfortunately, time and time again the OAS has been ineffective in solving conflicts within its hemisphere because each member of the organization also has the obligation to safeguard their national interests, even if it means turning a blind eye to the human rights violations that may be taking place within the borders of a fellow OAS member.

This is exactly what happened to Venezuela, when Maria Corina Machado (an opposition leader) was given a chance to speak at an OAS meeting and 22 of its 35 members voted to make it closed session, making it impossible for Maria Corina to speak to the world about the violations that are taking place in Venezuela. Conversely, 11 countries spearheaded by Panama voted to make the meeting public, while one country (Barbados) abstained from voting. Although Cuba belongs to OAS, a sanction against the country prevents it from voting.

Although I was hopeful, in the end I wasn’t surprised by the outcome. From the moment he was elected president, Hugo Chavez acquired the support of many countries in the region and across the globe by offering Venezuelan oil as financial aid or as part of energy agreements, a policy that has continued into Nicolas Maduro’s term. In spite of this expected support some countries like Colombia and the United States chose to put economic interest aside and take a chance on behalf of human rights. To these countries, we are grateful.


This image illustrates Venezuela’s oil policies and the type of agreement it has with each country, both in the region and worldwide.

The conflict that exists between being true to the first article of its constitution and each country's best interest has called into question OAS's effectiveness many times throughout history. It is not the first time men or women of power use their country's resources to influence and/or buy nations that will support, cover-up, finance, arm and even protect the governments they have built. In the end, these influences cannot be put aside even when human rights are being violated and innocent people are dying.

Still, we went, we spoke, we continue to protest and hope for the best.

Question and answer session with an American friend

Q: Hi. How are things in Venezuela? Is it getting worse?
A: Yes... everyday it’s a little worse.

Q: Is everything we read on Twitter true?
A: No, not everything. You definitely have to check veracity before you retweet. But each individual has his/her trusted “official” sources. We depend on Twitter for our information because the media is censored.

Q: Are there still no flights out?
A: Some international airlines, like Air Canada and Air Europa, have stopped selling tickets in Venezuela until the situation improves and the government pays their debt.

Q: What can you do to fight this? Don’t you want to leave and make sure the family is safe?
A: Yes, of course. I want my family to be safe and when it gets unlivable we have the option to leave while many don’t. But even though I felt American for years coming here and living through this has awakened a feeling of patriotism, of wanting to stay and help as much as I can. Every day we are faced with occurrences that make my skin crawl of disgust but simultaneously stories of courage, dignity and self-sacrifice that really reach me. The heart of this movement are the students, college students like you and I used to be, risking their lives daily because they want a future here and not somewhere else. They have been massacred, tortured, sequestered and detained for days.

Q: If there is anything we can do? I heard there are a couple of Senators we can write to.
A: Right now there are two senators that have spoken against President Maduro’s repression. One is republican senator Marco Rubio who states that President Obama must take a clear stance against the aggressions that have taken place in Venezuela. Look for Marco Rubio’s 15 minute speech to the Senate in YouTube. The other is Senator Bob Menendez a Democrat of Cuban-American background that is urging the American government to sanction Venezuelan officials that have been part of the violent crackdown by denying visas and freezing their assets. Follow both of these senators via Twitter and write to their office in support of the Venezuelan resistance.

Q: How many people have died so far?
A: 31 students are dead as of today since February 12th for protesting. Some shot in the head, we believe, by snipers. That doesn’t include the countless others who have died because of medical shortages and not being able to continue their cancer treatments, dialysis, etc.

Q: These snipers are Maduro’s military?
A: Yes. People in the resistance don’t have the training to shoot like that. We are civilians.

Q: The military are trying to stop protests even though they are peaceful?
A: Yes, that's the issue. This chain of events started because a female student was almost raped on February 11th. Her buddies started a spontaneous protest against the rampart delinquency and the government responded with brute military force. On February 12th the student protest went national; the entire country took to the streets in demonstration against the government for responding in such a violent manner. Three people lost their lives that day. The demonstrations have gone on since then and have grown to include food shortages, rising inflation, liberation of political prisoners, censorship, corruption and the presence of Cuban political leaders and soldiers on Venezuelan soil.

Q: Has the government done anything to alleviate the problems if the Venezuelans?
A: No. Since the protest started, Nicolas Maduro has accused opposition leaders of inciting violence and even the United States for conspiring to overthrow the government, outing three American ambassadors from Venezuela. In response, Obama said that Maduro is trying to distract attention from his failures and the real issues that affect the people of Venezuela by blaming American diplomats.

Q: What's the deal with Leopoldo?
A: Leopoldo has supported peaceful protest from the beginning, calling on people to march and to stay on the streets. Of course, when the National Guard, police and military arrive to disperse the demonstrations with tear gas, water hoses and guns the students and civilians respond with rocks and barricades. Leopoldo is accused of inciting violence and terrorism and causing deaths.

Q: Was he thrown in prison? Is he out now?
A: On February 18th, Leopoldo Lopez marched alongside thousands and gave himself up to government authorities. He hopes that his imprisonment awakens Venezuelans and the world to the injustice that is taking place. From prison he urges students and civilians not to quit but to continue resisting the government peacefully until the president resigns. One month later, he is still in a prison called Ramo Verde. Right now Leopoldo is favored over Henrique Capriles because he is more radical. He declares that President Maduro must resign according to article 350 of the Venezuelan constitution which states that: “the people of Venezuela, loyal to their republican tradition, fight for independence, peace and liberty, will renounce any regime, legislation or authority that oppose the democratic values, principles and guarantees or violates human rights.”

Q: The woman, Maria Corina, is an interesting candidate. What is she like?
A: She attended a catholic all-girl private school and comes from family money. She has been physically beaten in the National Assembly. On one occasion, her nose was broken. She is the first person to call this regime a dictatorship. Recently, Panama’s ambassador in the Organization of American States (OAS), Arturo Vallarino, ceded his seat to Maria Corina in a meeting of the Permanent Council of the organization that is taking place on Friday so she can tell people what is happening in Venezuela. Canada and the United States have expressed their support in favor of Panama.

Q: Is she in any danger from the government?
A: Yes, the government wants to charge her with the same things as Leopoldo and throw her in jail. Both of them have been outspoken about their support for the students’ protests.

Q: And so they have a target on their back?
A: Yes.

Q: But none of these players are in a position to go toe to toe with Maduro?
A: Elections have been a fraud since 2004, so voting is not the answer because the government will always win and be seen as a legitimate democracy in the international community when it isn't.

Q: There needs to be a coup?
A: Coups generally happen when the military overthrows the government. Right now the military is siding with Maduro but maybe that will change.

Q: How about international intervention? Is that the only way?
A: No. International support helps by exposing the government. But basically we, students, civilians and opposition leaders, have to make it happen. I guess the most democratic way without elections would be to open people’s eyes, convince more people to join in the resistance and hold on until we are enough people to change the current government. Also, rumors are that some military men have already turned because they have families are part of the resistance.

Q: And all this you find out through Twitter?
A: All of it is from Twitter and whatsapp. The news is censored, although we still have cable and can watch international interviews or reports, nothing appears on our national news. We watch Fernando del Rincon who is a journalist from CNN en Español that has been following and reporting on the situation closely. But, essentially, we are connected to Twitter from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep.

Q: Can the government shut down access of it?
A: I think they will eventually.

Q: Do you have a lot of family left there?
A: Maybe 20-30 people from my family still live here. We are 28 first cousins, so probably a fourth.

Q: Where have they all gone?
A: USA, Canada, Spain, Dominican Republic, Mexico, etc.

Q: Do you think they will return to Venezuela?
A: I think some will, but others have become established in other countries. The great news about Venezuela and one of the reasons why she worth fighting for is that with a leadership change we can turn things around quickly and catch up.

Q: Because of the natural resources?
A: That and the human resource.

I Fight for Venezuela because...

Social media, like Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram, were just apps I used to stay informed and connect with family and friends. Now they have become my lifeline, the sources from which I find out if the route to my children’s school is barricaded, where I can buy milk or oil, the date and place of the next protest, instructions from our opposition leaders in addition to infinite articles and videos that capture and try to make sense of the chaos we are living today. My children didn’t go to school for a month, starting on February 12th. In that month Charles and I have had to learn to subdue our anger, feelings of impotence and sadness and transmit to our girls that things are ok, that everything will work itself out when we both feel our country, our rights and our voices slipping away. Although we were already in dire straits, before February 12th I used to fall asleep to the sound of Charles’ voice telling me about his day, now I lie awake until 2am, scrolling down Twitter to find out how many tanks the National Guard have sent to disperse the nightly protest in Plaza Altamira, what was the told of the dead for the day. I am so overwhelmed by the amount of information that I am petrified to write, I don’t know where to begin and I am afraid that if I document my worst fears they are more likely to come true. My one obligation to myself is to memorize the names of the students who have died fighting for our future since February 12th. Every day I add a name.

In the midst of all this uncertainty one of the things that affects me the most is the difference of opinions that exist among our opposition leaders. I understand that the co-existence of diverse ideas is an illustration of true democracy and that our leaders have a common objective, but still, it makes me nervous that there isn’t a united front, one set of instructions we must all follow, a single path to reach our goal. How can we become an inclusive, united Venezuela if differences divide us at this level? My greatest wish, right now, is for the opposition/resistance leaders to set aside their human vanities and personal agendas and reach a common understanding of a single strategy and final goal. I think this would streamline our efforts and enable us to reach our goal with greater speed. This will never happen because they, the four, are different people with diverse ideas about how to attain freedom. I am also bothered by the rhythms of politics that bring a leader into the limelight to call for a peaceful protest and then hides him or her away in the shadow of chaos. I yearn for consistency.

What is the opposition? The opposition consists of Venezuelans that disagree with the policies of Nicolas Maduro. The opposition, as such, first coalesced with the election of President Hugo Chavez in 1999 and consisted of all the political parties (old and new) that didn’t want to move in the socialist direction the President had envision for Venezuela. The opposition may represent half of the country, illustrated by the last presidential elections in which Maduro beat Henrique Capriles by a small margin of 1.5% in 2012. (Even though all elections since 2004 have been fraudulent, the small margin reflects that even the government can't hide amount of people that oppose them). Some experts declare that the opposition to the government has grown since then because of the rising inflation, increasing insecurity and food shortages. Today, the opposition or resistance includes Chavistas that have become disgruntled by Maduro’s policies and most recently his use of military force to repress peaceful protests of university students, resulting in twenty deaths and counting.

Who are the resistance leaders?

First, Henrique Capriles Radonski, who ran against Chavez and Maduro in presidential elections. He predicates peace and inclusion and believes that changing the current government will only happen when the poor population (still the majority of Venezuelans) join the resistance.

In contrast, Leopoldo Lopez believes in ceasing the moment and asking the current president, Nicolas Maduro, to resign for violating the human rights of the students that protested peacefully. Currently, most of the resistance seems to be with Leopoldo, although his followers don’t necessarily include the poorest class.

Thirdly is Maria Corina Machado who is a deputy in the National Assembly. Although she has been consistent in speaking up in the face of injustice, she is a woman from the high class. To many, she is the bravest leader because she has been physically and verbally abused in the National Assembly and yet continues to fight against corruption and injustice. Unfortunately, Venezuelans might not be ready to vote for a woman from the upper class as their president.

Lastly we have Antonio Ledezma who is the governor of the metropolitan area. He has the most years of experience in politics and has been clear in his strategy of working hard for the people while also speaking out against the government.

Both, Maria Corina and Antonio lean towards maintaining the protest on the streets until the president resigns. I follow all four leaders closely, attend the marches or heed their instructions of peaceful protest. Maybe their common strategy is to resist the government from different angles, to give people choices so they are not all accused of a bogus charge and thrown in jail, like Leopoldo.

Me? I waver between leaders and their strategies. I understand the necessity for inclusion, the reality that all the sectors of our society must be duly represented if we are going to rebuild Venezuela to its true potential. I believe we must create opportunities for the lower class to succeed without making them dependent through hand outs. Simultaneously, I want the change to happen now because I find life here, as it is, unsustainable. Everyday people have less… less money, less variety, less safety, less places to visit, less medicines, less friends that stay… all of which translates to less freedom to choose. The other day, as part of a massive demonstration, we were asked to make a sign that stated why we protest, I couldn’t do it that day because I was overwhelmed by the infinite reasons. Today, right now I understand why I do it.

I FIGHT FOR VENEZUELA BECAUSE I BELIEVE SHE IS RICH ENOUGH TO PROVIDE FOR ALL OF US.

Students Ignite Venezuela

For many years now we, the opposition, had been under the delusion that we represented the majority of Venezuelans. The wrong impression that most people care about private property, education, freedom of speech and other liberties which are so basic to some of us. The reality is that most people, what we call “el pueblo”, do not have access to good, sturdy shelter; that most people don’t own a home, or car, or business to defend. How can one can care about what they teach your child in school if you have to consider the safety of the place, the availability of money to buy school supplies, the dangerous commute to and from through the barrio? It’s hard to care about freedom of speech on an empty stomach.

Until now we had be unable to reach this majority because they are too busy just trying to survive. But the assault against the students by government troops resulting in death and injuries resonates with the entire country because even in the humblest family there is a son or daughter, a niece or nephew, a cousin or grandchild that is going to university.

The students have ignited our country and brought the Venezuelan people together after fifteen years of polarization. Since the brutal attack on student protesters on February 11th, there have been marches, meetings, barricades and other forms of peaceful demonstrations every single day flooding the streets with people holding signs demanding the release of political prisoners, better wages, solution to food shortages, a decrease in delinquency and the resolution to an infinity of problems we all face daily. What started as an action to defend and support the students has become a national movement to change our lives, our destiny.

What has been inspiring for me, and much of the country, is the organization and tenacity these adolescents have displayed since that initial event. They are on the streets in different states across the country, making a statement, raising their voices, hands and signs against a government that tries to silence their bravery with bullets and tear gas. They have achieved what no politician has been able to achieve since the first appearance of Hugo Chavez Frias. Our youth have united us once again and made us feel proud to be Venezuelans.

The students have found creative ways to get around the strict censorship the government has imposed on TV stations, newspapers and even internet communication channels. They stay connected to each other through Whattapp and Zello and divulge their message or plans to the masses through Twitter, Facebook and videos on Youtube. When the government tried to limit communication through Zello by blocking the information the company (Zello) simply developed an update which undid their work. With so much technology at our fingertips, we have all become reporters, journalists, photographers capturing the aggression of the government against peaceful but disgruntled people.

We have been on the streets now for seventeen days, non stop. During the day some of us may work, or watch the kids, or buy the food but we will also find the time to step out into our streets to defend our students, to carry a iron post to a barricade, to participate in a march, to assist an information meeting. As long as the students stay on the streets, they will inspires the rest of the country to fight alongside them.

Peaceful march turns violent

STUDENTS GETTING READY TO MARCH IN CARACAS. THE SIGN SAYS: MOM I WENT TO FIGHT FOR VENEZUELA, IF I DON'T RETURN I'VE GONE WITH HER.

Yesterday my two girls didn’t go to school. It wasn’t a cold, or a storm, or a national holiday. They stayed home because I went to march with my fellow Venezuelans and didn’t know if I would be back in time to pick them up. Like most Venezuelans who live here, I have been to many marches before and have lost faith in their effectiveness. But every time a new march or gathering is scheduled, I find myself walking among a river of people, hoping, praying and chanting for a better future for our country. Many immigrants who’ve left their own countries and settled here say that our situation is nothing compared to what they lived, what they went through. They say that things will get much worse before they can get any better. I march because I don’t want to hit rock bottom before we begin to rebuild our country once again, I march because I want things to change before I am forced to leave.

AERIAL IMAGE OF THE MARCH AT THE STARTING POINT.

The march on February 12th felt different from the beginning because it wasn’t political. It wasn’t an event planned by the government’s opposition to get international coverage. It was a protest led by Venezuelan students demanding personal security. It was the capital’s (Caracas) attempt to support an initiative started by students in other states asking the government to protect their citizens from increasing delinquency. Caracas marched on the 12th, the national day of youth, and the government responded with such force it killed one student and injured many others. From that moment on, many people flooded the streets in protest, increasing the number of deaths, injuries and detainees across the entire country. Many others (like me) have barricaded themselves at home. Since the government has complete control over television and radio, my actions are dictated by the information I receive from twitter and chat groups. There are rumors that school is suspended across the country and that we are in the middle of a coup. It is impossible to determine what is true or untrue, but my girls are staying home today as well.

PICTURE OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS PROTESTING THE OUTCOME OF THE MARCH.

Last night there were shots fired in my neighborhood. From my window I could see tires burning on a mayor street, blocking the nonexistent traffic. Apart from the places of protests, the city was completely deserted. I moved my two girls to my bed while they slept, away from the windows in case a stray bullet reaches our apartment. It wouldn’t be the first time a bullet reaches my window in the middle of the night. I noticed my demeanor was calm, cool and almost robotic and wondered if I would have been nervous and neurotic in my husband’s presence, if someone else was here to keep things under control and make decisions. He should be flying in today. I hope he can make it safely from the airport to our home. All we can do is stay connected and wait.

PICTURE OF DESERTED STREETS AND TIRE BURNING FROM MY APARTMENT.

Flawed Country

From my husband’s graduating class less than half still live in Venezuela. The rest have emigrated to the USA or South America even Australia. This sample of men is an accurate illustration of what has been happening in Venezuela since 1999, when Hugo Chavez won the presidential elections and began to move the country in the socialist direction. From those that continue to live here, some have become rich buying and selling dollars in the black market, a way of life that is illegal but results in huge payoffs, just like any high risk endeavor. The rest of the men have been working in a country where private ownership is constantly attacked, where manufacturers and distributors close their doors on a daily basis, where raw materials are scarce because the country produces little and imports a lot. As professionals leave, we lose our most valuable asset, the studied, trained, and highly skilled human resource. But even in this dire situation, amid shortages, inflation above 50%, rampant crime, etc. some people chose to stay one more year.

Why do we stay? Some people stay because they want to care for their parents (who are adamant about not deserting their country), others because their businesses continue to grow and even thrive in the current environment, still others because they cannot practice their profession anywhere else (like lawyers), and some because even though they have lost everything they are not ready to give up.

And yet… living in any country in conflict has certain opportunities that are closely linked to personal growth and development. Professionals who stay and work in Venezuela learn to resolve problems they wouldn’t face anywhere else, on a daily basis. Successful executives must make business work using a single manufacturer and regional distributor in a company that is probably weighed down by under qualified and over protected human resource in a hostile environment run by a socialist government. This is especially hard on small businesses, that do not have the financial muscle to import raw materials from another country, set-up their own distribution chain, pay off the employees that do not meet company objectives or hire an expensive law firm to protect their rights. Everyday executives find creative solutions to obstacles that would daunt business people in other countries. They have developed an eye for finding opportunities in a place that is fraught by human right violations, corruption and violence and have become extreme players in the sport of making money. There is not a single masters program in the world that will teach business administrators, lawyers, doctors and other professionals what they are learning daily by living here.

Life here is both scary and inspiring with stories of an express kidnapping gone bad or grandmothers spearing heading a dangerous march to Miraflores, our Whitehouse. At this moment Venezuela offers no peace, no safety, no guarantee that your rights will be protected. But it is a moment in time, a part of history which has changed the country forever. We could go, and maybe we will, but until then we continue to learn and grow from conflict. We do our best to create a bubble of peace, safety and happiness for our kids by surrounding ourselves with family and friends, taking them to places that are safe, explaining the situation in simple terms so that they too can grow while instilling importance of finding a solution and never giving up. No one ever said life would be perfect and it is in the flaws of life where there is most room to grow.