The reality of having a life of abundance in Venezuela became a dream that little by little it has ended.

 I was born in 1995 in a city called Anaco located in eastern Venezuela, it was a small place with few inhabitants but with excellent opportunities in the oil and gas industries.  Companies established oil and natural gas extraction locations on land adjacent to the city.

 My parents say that before 1999 the oil industry had a lot of people in our city, and most of them came from abroad.  Many people from different parts of the country traveled to Anaco in order to find work for these companies and they succeeded! Since the production of oil and natural gas was increasing and companies expanding in the territory. The man was usually the one who went to work and the salary was enough to feed, dress, and provide for your family.

 Food was plentiful, hospitals always had resources, new ones were created public and private educational institutions from primary to university level, the utilities like electricity and water were excellent, crime was very little, prices were stable, the streets were lighted and paved.

 I grew up living in this golden age. My father worked for many years as an operator of machines in a company that offered maintained oil wells.  My mother was a hairdresser, their combined wages were enough to give us a good life.

 Over time they built a house and equipped it with what they needed to live, money it was enough to buy food for a month, dress, play sports, save for times of emergencies, go for a walk on weekends, go on vacation to the beach, celebrate birthdays with our relatives, buy school supplies or buy a car. They were very fruitful times.

 In general, children and young people had the idea of following the life pattern of their parents, study something related to oil or gas and try to get a job at one of these companies. It was very easy to imagine that everything would be given just like our parents. However, as the years passed with the arrival of socialism in Venezuela, all those benefits began to slowly disappear. 

 The oil industry, which accounted for 80% of employment in the area, began to deteriorate, companies were closing their doors little by little, generating a wave of unemployment that affected many families. The salary began to be consumed in front of the silent inflation that was growing, the public services deteriorated due to lack of maintenance and resources, good service medical care became a luxury that only a few had access to, poverty increased which generated a higher crime rate.  We slowly lost everything. Our life as a family changed over the years, my parents’ salary was not enough to cover everything we were used to, we lost everything.  Finally, the only priority is to buy food and have some savings for moments of emergency.  Everything else became a luxury that we had to say goodbye to.

 I am currently 25 years old and things are very different from what my Venezuela used to be. In the past, the hopes of working in the country to support a family are very minimal.  Most people bet on traveling to other countries in search of better opportunities.

 Anaco is barely a shadow of what it was in my childhood, children today do not know the taste of an apple because they are very expensive.  They have never been on a family vacation.  Their dreams are not to study a university degree, but to reach the age of majority to leave from Venezuela. The reality of having a life of abundance in Venezuela became a dream that little by little has faded.

 However, I admire those who go out every day to work or study without trying a spoon full of food during the day just to leave a little something for their children  There are those who struggle with illnesses such as cancer or diabetes without having the possibility to buy medicines.  They bury their dead loved ones in garbage bags for not having the means to afford a funeral service. I applaud the work mothers who fill the mind and heart of hope their children to be professionals in some study, even when Venezuela collapses.

 Although things have radically changed in the life of the Venezuelan, we continue fighting to live happily with what we have.  We retain a spark of hope that motivates us to continue without fainting.

 Translation of drawing:

Our 2 week supply of 2 kilos of rice for 8 people. Help us!