{"id":2482,"date":"2018-08-26T11:25:36","date_gmt":"2018-08-26T11:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/armando.info\/?p=2482"},"modified":"2018-08-26T11:25:36","modified_gmt":"2018-08-26T11:25:36","slug":"venezuela-you-have-to-pay-to-reach-the-horizon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/venezuela-you-have-to-pay-to-reach-the-horizon\/","title":{"rendered":"Venezuela - You Have to Pay to Reach the Horizon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tucupita \r\nis the capital of the state of Delta Amacuro, the territory of eastern Venezuela \r\nwhere the Orinoco River spreads through the hundreds of branches of a large \r\ndelta before taking its waters to the Atlantic Ocean. But Tucupita is also a \r\ndeteriorated, desolate and inhospitable town.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n

The \r\nhouse fronts have been losing their color and the santamarias <\/I>of the \r\nbusinesses \u2014as the metal folding bars to close business premises are known in \r\nVenezuela\u2014 remain down most of the time. Only once a month a truck arrives in \r\ntown stocked with butter, flour, pasta, rice and mayonnaise. That same day, the \r\nshelves are empty again. Milk is not available for sale anymore and the supplies \r\nof Chinese merchants, who were in every block, have been closing their doors. A \r\nrestaurant to recommend to those who wish to celebrate a special date and a \r\nhotel, which maintains a privileged service in the midst of scarcity, barely \r\nsurvive. Almost all the inns of the Lower Delta went bankrupt and most \r\ninhabitants of the city depend on salaries from the Government of Delta Amacuro \r\nor the Ministry of Health. Tucupita survives by \r\nmoonlighting.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

Illegal emigration began to be one of the most lucrative businesses in the area since last year.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n

Scarcity \r\ncovers them as well as the inhabitants of the rest of the country. Every \r\nmorning, there is a line of passers-by in a couple of bakeries hoping to buy \r\nbread of the day. Some young people show packages of flour or rice to be paid in \r\ncash only to those who pass by their side. There are just a few taxis because \r\nthe cost of maintaining a car is higher than what can be produced by providing \r\nthe service in Tucupita.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n

Despite \r\nthe widespread poverty of a place with no charm, guests constantly check in and \r\nout of Tucupita lodgings. People spend several days there but hardly leave their \r\nrooms during the day. They wait for hours sitting on the stairs or in the \r\ncorridors to the rooms for rent. \"That one will certainly go to Trinidad,\" the \r\nemployees whisper.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n

Illegal \r\nemigration began to be one of the most lucrative businesses in the area since \r\nlast year. The departure of people without passports to neighboring Trinidad and \r\nTobago \u2013 an English-speaking twin islands - is quoted in US dollars - like all \r\nthose mentioned in this release - and each police corps charge bribes a vaccine \r\nto turn a blind eye to the departure of boats.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

Hope Behind Bars<\/h2>\n\n\n

Guillermo \r\nLares left three months ago with his son-in-law Fidel Rojas to Trinidad and \r\nTobago. Fidel did not make ends meet as a construction worker to feed his wife \r\nLuisa Lares and their ten, seven, five and two-year old \r\nchildren.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n

Luz \r\nMary L\u00f3pez, Guillermo's wife and Fidel's mother-in-law, says that on the second \r\nday on the island, they were both were arrested in Trinidad and Tobago. She \r\nmanaged to find out what happened through a cousin of Fidel, who had also \r\nmigrated to the island. She has only seen her husband in videos via WhatsApp and \r\nother social networks where dozens of Venezuelans under arrest on the island \r\nasked the Venezuelan Government to at least help them by deporting them to the \r\ncountry. However, in three months, no Venezuelan authority has contacted the \r\nLares family, and poverty is undermining the family. \"All year long we have been \r\neating lentils that arrive in the Clap box [Ch\u00e1vez government's subsidized food \r\ndistribution program in popular areas] only. My husband left to feed our \r\ngrandchildren,\" says L\u00f3pez.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n

<\/p>\n\n