Goals are a luxury we cannot afford

It seems ironic to hear that in a country with so many natural resources, beautiful landscapes, and brilliant minds there are no opportunities. However, in Venezuela, this is reality. Our Goals have been reduced to the simple desire to survive.

Since I was a child my parents have encouraged me to study and get good grades. To enter a university and train as a professional.  I think this was the oldest of the dreams of any parent in Venezuela to see their children receive a university degree.

Being an engineer, graduate or technician in any company about 15 years ago allowed a stable job that offered a good enough salary to have a house, food, car, vacations, savings, life insurance, and certain luxuries.

Perhaps not everyone had the same goal of graduating from college.  All had as their goal an abundant life in all aspects.  After the advent of socialism, our goals took a 180 degree turn, the universities are now empty, as are our libraries. Well, who dares to study in classrooms without teachers for lack of payment, without gasoline for transported by bus, without having a bite of food in the stomach, in malnutrition, infected with viruses due to lack of sanitation, without laboratories or internet access?

Also, why study if in Venezuela today knowledge has no value? It doesn’t matter if you are an engineer, doctor, or graduate, in the end, everyone earns the same miserable salary that only allows you enough to buy food for two days.  On the other hand, the transnational companies that you could bet on a future with, have all left the country. 

Although it seems sad, no one living in Venezuela today thinks of buying a house, a car, new clothes or going on vacation, talking about these topics is daydreaming because it is a reality that we will not achieve in the circumstances in which we live. Being in our land we are forced to set aside our dreams and goals. It is normal to hear laments for everything we are experiencing. We all deserve a better life, but everyday life in Venezuela turns into a rougher road, with less oxygen and lower chances of living, however, we keep fighting even when we want to faint.

Daniel Moreno