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RE: 100.000 STEEM for VENEZUELA

in #venezuela6 years ago

Saludos, @edgarare1
Un gesto muy hermoso de tu parte. Lo aplaudo y lo apoyo. Como ya te has percatado, son muchos los Venezolanos que hacemos vida en Steemit, contra todos los obstáculos (internet, electricidad, robos de telefonos y computadoras, etc.). Creo que todas las regiones de nuestro país estan representadas acá.

ººVENEZUELAºº
My name is Henrry Lezama. I am from a small town on the east coast of the State of Sucre (North-east of the country). I am 46 years old. I have 5 children. My elder son is living now in Lima, Perú (I was unable to get him through college). My elder daughter is finishing High School in June (we are planning to send her to Chile with some aunts, there are no universities left here for her to study and even if there were, we’d not be able to afford it). I have been planning to leave the country too, but due to many complications we have not been able to do it. Until last semester, I was a college professor at the Universidad de Oriente (UDO), but was forced to just give up my work given the increasing difficulties to continue teaching.
In this post, I provided a retrospective account of our particular situation.

https://steemit.com/ulog/@hlezama/ulog-025-or-academic-genocide

Education, in all areas, is probably (after the health system tragedy) the most dramatic aspect of the crisis we are living.
The damaged that has inflicted on the generation of students who have attended schools in the last 15 years is, to a certain extent, irreparable. They lost their formative years in a system that was more concerned with ideological indoctrination than with a truly formative and liberating education. The public, independent universities were the only standing body to resist that. That’s why they had to be demolished. And demolished they were.

There are so many layers in this crisis and they are so intermingled that it's hard to find a starting point. One thing affects the other and everything ends up failing. I saw my work hindered by things such as funding (our universities stopped receiving the adequate funding to invest in equipment and infrastructure), but then things went to extremes of not having the most basic things available for students and faculty to do their work. No cafeteria, no library, no computers, no internet, no auditorium, no transportation, no bathrooms!; then crime started to escalate. Assaults, robberies, rapes, even assassinations became “normal” in campus life (no authority would do anything about it, again, the ruining was intentional). We started to give up everything and still continued trying to do our work. But at some point when you don’t have a classroom, when your students can’t afford to copy a handout, when they can’t come to class because they are hungry or can’t walk miles to get to class, and then you simply realize there are no students registered because most of them have left the country, then you know you’re done as a nation.

As of today, for instance, university professors across the country have not received their payment of this month (first fortnight), a payment that, by the way, amounts to some $5. On average, a university professor makes about $10 a month.
Before the revolution started to intentionally ruin the university system and the whole economy, we competed among Latin-American countries for not only the best salary but also the best education.
As it has been evidenced by the first wave of migration that started under Chavez's tenure, we were able to train the best professionals in the region.
At the moment, most public universities are stagnated, technically closed and the few that remain operative (UCV, LUZ, ULA) are doing it under enormous political pressure and under precarious circumstances.

I have been on Steemit for 15 months now and I started here just looking for extra money because we were literally starving. It has not worked out quite well in that aspect. The combination of a bear market for cryptos and our outrageous inflation rate makes it impossible to get any significant economic aid. However, during all these months, I have found amazing people who not only show solidarity for our cause, but also encourage any talent we may have and have pushed us to developed unknown talents.
From this window to the world, I have tried to provide the insider’s view so needed in times of censorship and fake news. There is a lot of misinformation about our crisis and there are a lot of conflicting interests among groups that might be helping otherwise, but who are so concerned to remain faithful to their ideological agenda, they forget about the justice agenda.

We can only hope that our debacle will serve as an example for other countries who might be flirting with promises similar to the ones we got, from people with discourses, links, and agendas similar to the ones held by the chavismo, to stay away from them and avoid a fate similar to ours. To that effect, to leave living proofs of the immensity of our tragedy, and to continue feeling alive, I write on Steemit.

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So very sorry for the situation you and others in your country are in. I really hope things turn around soon, though I am afraid there will be much turmoil no matter what happens. It seems that world is full of "politicians" who want nothing but there own way, instead of wanting what is best for the majority.

Proud member of #powerhousecreatives

Thanks. Can't agree more. The irony of our times. So much "progress", so much legislation to protect the weak", so many backward ideas alledgedly overcome, so much communication (which allegedly would render manipulation of hiding of truths impossible), and here we are, no better than any other point n history when it comes to the relationship between the goverment and the governed.

Hello @toddrjohnson thanks for coming...

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

@hlezama I applaud your courage to enlighten the world to the real situation and not what is fed to us through the news media. May God bless you and your family today and every day.

Above all, please be safe.

Hello @dswigle thanks for coming

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

The pleasure is mine.

@hlezama, I don't even know what to say! I've been following the "situation" in Venezuela for a long time now, and just can't believe that it's all happening. I'm so sorry that you and your family and so many others are living this nightmare. I'm still hoping that things improve for the entire country. Thank you for your courage and honesty here. Big hugs to you and yours!

Thank you very much. Even here, some people do not know what to say (and actually remain speechless) and do not believe we've fallen so low. "I never thought we could hit bottom", they say, only to find themselves later saying, "when I thought things could not get any worse... this crap happened..."

Often people choose silence when they're uncomfortable I guess; I'd rather try and occasionally put my foot in my mouth :) I was thinking that "it can't get worse", but unfortunately, history and man's inhumanity has proven otherwise time and time again. My heart is with you and yours and everyone affected.

Thanks. Good thing history has also given us examples of miraculous recoveries. I stick to those cases when desperation knocks.

I will do the same :)

Hello @lynncoyle1 thanks a lot for coming..

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

You're most welcome @edgarare1 :)

I admit it's hard to hear what is happening in Venezuela. My sister-in-law is from Venezuela. She's actually in the process of moving her mother here. I guess she was lucky she moved to the US about 8 yrs ago to go to school. Hopefully someone will figure out the answer to start putting the pieces back together.

Upvotes, commented and resteemed.

Best of luck @hlezama we are rooting for you.

Gaz

Wishing you luck and may your people endure to see a new age and you are allowed to rebuild.

Thank you very much. A new age will come, we're sure of that. Hopefully, we'll be around to see it.

Hello @manoldonchev thanks a lot for showing your support ....

It's for all of you, of course. Words is what we can give you and I hope sometimes some words prove powerful enough.

Good luck through these difficult times.

Hello @c0ff33a

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

I am so sorry to hear of your situation, it is hard to believe that any ruling party could put their country to ruin. It must be tremendously difficult to have your livelihood eroded away from you. Thank goodness you have the courage to make the effort to change your circumstances and those of your family!
Do take care and I hope you have a change of circumstances soon!

Nice to hear from you @porters ...

Thanks a lot for your comment and support all Venezuelan people ...

!tip

Hello @xcountrytravelers thanks for coming..

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

I am truly lost for words
I have a Venezuelan friend who has lived here for close to 30 years, who every now and then would be upset, depressed, angry for what's happening back home and to her family there.
It is really sad.
I really hope for the best that you find your way out of this mess

Thank you. It does upset that much, even when people have been away so long. I know people who would rather not read or watch news/reports to avoid getting depressed. I have tried to interspersed my blog with things other than the political and economical crisis, but I find myself scratching the would, even when I talk about (seemlingly) unrelated matters.
I appreciate your support

It is consuming and affecting everyone there for sure
Her mother is still there and refuses to leave even though she had been trying to convince her mother
Stay safe and well (the best you can) @hlezama