"Adults and children eat from garbage tanks"

Venezuelan journalist - about how the country lives after the closure of the borders

In Venezuela, a political crisis continues, which began after the mass demonstrations of January 2019. The confrontation between President Nicholas Maduro and the leader of the opposition Juan Guydo, who, after the January protests, proclaimed himself the head of state, develops against the backdrop of a worsening economic situation: there is not enough food in Venezuela, the simplest drugs disappeared from the sale. Humanitarian assistance sent by neighboring countries and the United States is not allowed to the country: the borders with Brazil and Colombia are closed by order of Maduro. On February 24, about 300 people suffered in clashes with the military while trying to deliver a humanitarian cargo across the border, 14 dead reports. The Venezuelan journalist and participant in the protests by Zhanfreddie Gutierres told Medusa about what is happening in the country.

Events in Venezuela cannot be predicted even a couple of days in advance, but what is happening now is surprising even me. So far, clashes continue near the bridges on the border with Colombia (people who require humanitarian aid are continuing to throw stones and “Molotov cocktails” into the fighters of the Venezuela National Guard, and the Colombian authorities are not interfering), already 326 Venezuelan military and police deserted. They left their positions and went to the territory of Colombia and Brazil. Some of them swore allegiance to Juan Guydo. More recently, this was even impossible to imagine. The Colombian authorities promise to separately consider the cases of each of the crossing the border and give them political asylum. Venezuela Foreign Minister Horhe Arreas, commenting on this news, said that Guydo allegedly offered each deserter almost 20 thousand dollars.

The self -proclaimed president has been in Colombia since February 22, but in video messages it promises to return to Karakas very soon. What will happen after his return is difficult to say. Guido and his family members are constantly threatened. Perhaps the authorities will decide to detain him. Having left Venezuela, Guydo violated the decision of the Supreme Court, which, despite the deputy inviolability of the opposition, ordered to freeze his accounts and prohibit leaving the country.

After the rallies of the end of January, Venezuela lived with hope, half a million people signed up by volunteers for the distribution of humanitarian aid. And how did it end? In clashes,14 people were killed on the border, almost 300 were injured. Containers with food and medicines burned. Maduro's regime again took advantage of the services of criminals. These are armed people in masks, bandits in the service of the authorities who attack and kill those who disagree, and the police and the military seem to have nothing to do with it. Every day I see more and more supporters of international military intervention around. I ask them: "Are you wanting to repeat the fate of Libya and Syria?" They reply that they do not see another way out - how else to cope with the regime that is associated with criminal groups and drug trafficking?

Everyday life is becoming more unbearable. I have five days at home. And this is nothing! In some areas it is not for several weeks, or even months. Constantly turn off the light, gas, the Internet. Sometimes we sit without water and in the dark. To get any medicine is a real quest. We are looking for WhatsApp on social networks and in groups, we buy for dollars. For several years now I have not been treating my psoriasis. My doctor left the country, not to get pills. Okay psoriasis! Buy tablets from hypertension is a luxury. In Venezuela, hundreds of thousands of people with HIV, with transplanted organs. Needing dialysis cannot get therapy. Not so long ago, a student at the University of Simon Bolivar died of a banal shortage of antibiotics.

The day before, Nicholas Maduro sent from the country the Mexican-American journalist Horhe Ramos, who during the interview showed the president of the video and asked to comment on this record. On it, three young Venezuelans are eaten from a garbage truck. One of them says to the camera: “We need to change the president. We can’t do this anymore ... We are forced to do this every day, because there are not enough salaries. Yes, I eat garbage from the garbage tank. "

Probably, this video of many people outside Venezuela is amazing. I can’t believe that this can be. Unfortunately, this not only happens from time to time, but occurs every day. Adults and children who eat bins can be seen in any city, especially in Karakas. Entire families are found. I have seen them many times. According to statistics, the vast majority of Venezuelans cannot afford to eat three times a day. For the past couple of years, a garbage mafia has appeared. She controls the tanks near restaurants and bakery in areas where the middle class lives, and decides which of the poor can eat from garbage bags and who does not.

Recorded by Ekaterina Bazanova