A moving and real look at life in a collapsing economy

[TravelingChris]

Praying here.

[Lanny]

If you use DHL, the customs people will steal some/all of your stuff.

 

Approximately 25 years ago, I read about people moving to Costa Rica who had their things stolen or destroyed, by the Customs people.   

 

In 1991, in Venezuela, I was told by an American man and his Venezuelan wife, that sometimes the people who work in the banks steal money that is transferred from other countries, by Bank Wire Transfers, into their clients bank accounts. That was in the days when Carlos Andres Perez was the President and before the banks in Venezuela collapsed and before Chavez.  

 

Rare that we receive anything shipped via DHL (their service is normally outstanding here) but our Receiver/Forwarder in Miami uses the cargo airline (ABX) that carries DHL cargo to Colombia. We have a small (9 pound) carton at MIA (Miami International AIrport) with 7 things in it as I write this.  I Thank God that we do not have the horrible problem you mentioned in this post.  We receive whatever was sent from Miami.   :hurray:

[Lanny]

If half of the things I read, and see on the TV News, are true, the situation is Venezuela is increasingly bad.  Last weekend, Colombia allowed (I believe with the approval of the Venezuelan government)  35,000 Venezuelans to cross the border into Colombia, each day, so they could shop in the city of Cucuta.  I can only imagine what those people thought, when they went into supermarkets and other stores in Colombia, and saw what was available for them to purchase. My wife told me that the weekend prior to that, 18,000 Venezuelans, in a group, walked up to an International Bridge and just continued to walk across the bridge, into Colombia.  Fortunately for them, the Venezuelan Security Forces did not open fire on them.  After that, I believe there was an agreement between Venezuela and Colombia that permit ted up to 35,000 people to cross into Colombia, each day, last Saturday and last Sunday.  I am now wondering if they will permit that next weekend too.  That's a huge help for people who live in Western Venezuela and I can only imagine how much people who live in Caracas and many other cities, on the other side of Venezuela wish they had access to Colombian stores too.  

[Lanny]

Follow on to my Post #58.  I googled and there were a total of more than 130,000 people who crossed from Venezuela, into Colombia, last Saturday and Sunday.  Our Foreign Minister says there will not be a repeat, until the entire border is reopened by Venezuela, to normal conditions. It has been closed, for the past 11 months. There were apparently people from many regions of Venezuela who crossed into Colombia, primarily they were buying groceries and medicines.  This is in Spanish:

 http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/otras-ciudades/descartan-nuevo-paso-de-venezolanos-para-compras-en-colombia/16648346

[chiguirre]

 I can only imagine how much people who live in Caracas and many other cities, on the other side of Venezuela wish they had access to Colombian stores too.  

 

If Venezuela opens the border, bachaqueros will have to lower their prices as there will be more supply. It will quickly become someone's livelihood to buy basic good in Cucuta, load up a truck with them and sell them in Caracas or Valencia. The only limit to this business model is the abysmally low wages Venezuelans earn ($15/month in black market $).

 

Venezuela is like a microeconomics lab experiment but I don't think Venezuelans appreciate being the lab rats.

[Lanny]

chiguirre   I think that article I linked to said the average purchase in Colombia was approximately USD $13.00.  My wife and I wonder what percentage of the 130K people who crossed into Colombia last weekend stayed in Colombia and will be here permanently and illegally...  Recently from what I've read, about 3000 people a day are allowed by the Venezuelan Security Forces to cross the bridge into Colombia. Students, people coming for medical treatment, etc.  Yes, if they could take truckloads of goods back to Caracas or Valencia or Maracaibo, they would make a ton of money, selling them to desperate Venezuelans.  Very sad what is happening in Venezuela.  The thought of desperately trying to find basic foods, or looking for a medicine, is not fun.  

[chiguirre]

chiguirre   I think that article I linked to said the average purchase in Colombia was approximately USD $13.00.  My wife and I wonder what percentage of the 130K people who crossed into Colombia last weekend stayed in Colombia and will be here permanently and illegally...  Recently from what I've read, about 3000 people a day are allowed by the Venezuelan Security Forces to cross the bridge into Colombia. Students, people coming for medical treatment, etc.  Yes, if they could take truckloads of goods back to Caracas or Valencia or Maracaibo, they would make a ton of money, selling them to desperate Venezuelans.  Very sad what is happening in Venezuela.  The thought of desperately trying to find basic foods, or looking for a medicine, is not fun.  

 

First, remember there are roughly 5 million people in Venezuela with Colombian citizenship and the percentage is higher close to the border so many people who cross from Venezuela are in fact Colombian. They aren't illegal. But, IMHO, people don't cross permanently without bringing a lot of stuff with them unless they are illegal Colombian residents of Venezuela being rousted by the national guard and even they carried as much stuff as they could with them.

 

Remember this disgraceful display?

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/venezuelas-maduro-vows-extend-colombian-border-crackdown-041154110.html?ref=gs

 

I'm very glad the Colombians don't hold a grudge because they could have just as easily kicked a bunch of Venezuelans across the border in the same way.

[Heatherwith4]

Praying for you friend and her kids to get to leave soon.

[mamiof5]

Praying for your friend and daughters. How frightening!!!

[MSNative]

Thank you so much for your prayers. She needs them!!

[TechWife]

Thanks for the update.

 

I can't being to imagine what they are going through. 

 

I'll pray that they are able to stay safe until they are safely home in the US.  

 

 

[Mimm]

Thanks for the update. Your friend and the entire country of Venezuela has been on my mind since this thread was first started. I can't even imagine watching conditions deteriorate so drastically without any end in sight.

[kubiac]

Bloomberg reporter in Venezuela journaled her experience procuring food for her family over 30 days.

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-venezuela-diary/

Edited July 21, 2016 by kubiac

[Laura in CA]

I have been following the situation (out of horrified fascination) as it is chronicled in NYT & WSJ. NYT reporter Nicholas Casey's first 30 days in Venezuela; articles about the failing health system; blackouts and hunger; hunger & ransacking; etc.

The images are haunting and heartbreaking. I read something recently (in the paper? in this thread?) about a recall attempt.

 

[Lanny]

@chiguirre   Thank you for your link in post #62   I hadn't seen that Yahoo article.    I wonder how many of those 5 million Colombians are living in Venezuela today.  My guess is that a (large?) percentage of them have returned to Colombia.  I have a Colombian friend (same hobby) who'd lived in Venezuela, legally, about half of his life. He moved back there, about 11 years ago.  I wonder about him and I hope that he is OK.   He is probably in Western Venezuela.  I have another friend, Venezuelan, who lives in Northern Venezuela, and I wonder about her and her family.   Last year, there were a bunch of Venezuelan Doctors in Bogota, explaining the dangerous situation they and their families were in. Very sad for everyone.  I don't think Colombia is expelling Venezuelans who are here, but I believe people who are here illegally from other countries are deported, quickly.  Probably Ecuador is an exception to that and there seem to be special provisions for Ecuadorians here.  I noticed a sign with the fees, when I went to get a new "Cedula" (National Identity Card) early this year. The Ecuadorians pay much less than people from other countries.     I can't imagine standing in a long line to get into a supermarket and then finding the shelves almost empty.  Here I just walk into the supermarket and they have everything. 

[chiguirre]

@chiguirre   Thank you for your link in post #62   I hadn't seen that Yahoo article.    I wonder how many of those 5 million Colombians are living in Venezuela today.  My guess is that a (large?) percentage of them have returned to Colombia.

 

We haven't seen a mass exodus of people YET. We'd notice if 5 million people upped sticks and moved from Venezuela to Colombia. That would be more than 10% of Venezuela's population. OTOH, middle class, educated people have been trickling away for the last 15 years. A lot of them are probably in Colombia but they're not noticeable. My BIL moved to Bogota with his family 2 years ago but my SIL is a Colombian citizen so it wasn't difficult.

[PinkTulip]

MSNative: will you let us know if/when your friend makes it out safely? I don't post a ton, but read here daily, and your friend has been on my mind a lot. I am praying for her and her children, and am worrying about them!

[importswim]

Related link: Scroll down for an album of Venezuelan families and what food they currently have in their homes.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/venezuela-economic-food-crisis-meals-2016-4

Thank you for this. DH and I were just talking about Venezuela yesterday and I wanted to convey to my kids how tough it is there right now. They (and I) respond better to visuals and so this link was perfect, but also heartbreaking. 

[kubiac]

BTW, if the situation in Venezuela makes anyone anxious, a pragmatic and non-alarmist book on personal food security is Independence Days by Sharon Astyk.

[Lanny]

This article on 23 July 2016 is about a woman in Venezuela who is going to rent a bus, to take people to shop in Colombia. This is in English:

 

 http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2016/07/22/desperate-for-food-middle-class-venezuelans-eagerly-await-reopening-colombia/

 

Another article is about McDonalds can't sell hamburgers, because of the lack of Bread.

 

My wife and DD made a major raid on a supermarket yesterday.  I can't imagine that millions of people in Venezuela would find that to be a distant memory.  

[MistyMountain]

Humans of New York mentioned a story about Venezuala today and it reminded me of this post and I wanted to check on the blog. The blog appears to be gone now. Did your friend make it back to the U.S.? I really feel for the people in Venezuala.

Edited April 24, 2017 by MistyMountain

[Mabelen]

So incredibly sad and frustrating what totalitarian regimes can do to a whole country.

[TechWife]

MS native, did your friend & her children relocate or are they still in Venezuela? Today's news is so bad.

[Lanny]

It is *extremely* bad and has been getting progressively worse, for the past 3 to 5 years or more. There are 40000 Venezuelans who cross the border daily into Colombia, for Medical care, to attend school, to shop, etc. They are the very lucky ones who live in Western Venezuela, near the border with Colombia.  

 

ETA: The Venezuelan government will not permit Humanitarian Aid to be sent from other countries.  

Edited June 28, 2017 by Lanny

[PinkTulip]

I would love to hear an update on how she is doing, as well. She has been on my mind every time I hear anything about Venezuela.

[Jaz]

I would love to hear an update on how she is doing, as well. She has been on my mind every time I hear anything about Venezuela.

 

Me too! Praying. 

[Mothersweets]

I would love to hear an update on how she is doing, as well. She has been on my mind every time I hear anything about Venezuela.

 

Same here! I really hope she is safe.

[MSNative]

Yall are so sweet to ask.  She is in GA with her kids!  Yay!  It was a long and expensive process but she is here.  And she is so thankful.  As hard as it is for her to start her life here with nothing she knows it is so much better than what she was dealing with.  

Thank you for asking!

[TechWife]

Yall are so sweet to ask.  She is in GA with her kids!  Yay!  It was a long and expensive process but she is here.  And she is so thankful.  As hard as it is for her to start her life here with nothing she knows it is so much better than what she was dealing with.  

Thank you for asking!

 

 This is great news! I hope she and her children will be able to move forward and recover from this traumatic experience. 

 

Thanks for the update. 

[Mimm]

Yall are so sweet to ask.  She is in GA with her kids!  Yay!  It was a long and expensive process but she is here.  And she is so thankful.  As hard as it is for her to start her life here with nothing she knows it is so much better than what she was dealing with.  

Thank you for asking!

 

I'm so glad to hear this. I've thought of her often.

 

My heart still breaks for the people of Venezuela who have no escape.

[MSNative]

Thank you.  They are all pretty shell shocked still.  And my friend just found out that her breast cancer is back.  :( Like she needs anything else to worry about. But she is a strong lady. 

[MSNative]

I'm so glad to hear this. I've thought of her often.

 

My heart still breaks for the people of Venezuela who have no escape.

 

Yes!  It is heartbreaking.  She hasnt been able to communicate with so many of her friends who are stuck there.  

[Guest]

Oh man, that has to be major culture shock coming back after such an experience. I'm sorry to hear about her cancer, prayers for her strength and healing!

 

Thank you for the update.

[PinkTulip]

Thanks for letting us know. Im so glad to hear she and her children are safely out, and so sorry about her breast cancer. I will pray for her healing and peace, as well as for those still living there in that nightmare.

[Mothersweets]

I'm so glad she and her children are safe in GA but so sorry to hear her cancer has returned. Sending healing thoughts and prayers her way!

[Lanny]

@MSNative   If your friend has Cancer, that's a great reason for her not to be in Venezuela.  The things we see in the news, about conditions in the hospitals there, the lack of Medicines and Supplies, are tragic.  The government of Venezuela will not permit International Humanitarian aid to be sent into the country. The lack of food in the stores, toilet paper, etc.,  is a horrible hardship on the population. A very small percentage of the population lives near Colombia, where they can cross the border and buy Medicine and Food, etc. Most  Venezuelans are not that fortunate.  

Edited June 29, 2017 by Lanny

[Caroline]

Yall are so sweet to ask. She is in GA with her kids! Yay! It was a long and expensive process but she is here. And she is so thankful. As hard as it is for her to start her life here with nothing she knows it is so much better than what she was dealing with.

Thank you for asking!

PM me if I can do something to help. I'm in the ATL area.

[Hen]

thank you for updating us!  I think of your friend, every time I see Venezuela in the news. I am so glad that she and the kids are out safely. 

[Lilaclady]

So glad to hear this. Wishing her and her children the best.

[bettyandbob]

Great update about getting out. Sorry to hear she has cancer now. I will pray for your friend and her dc. 

[Lanny]

If she is a Cancer patient, the possibility of her getting treatments she needs, and medicines she needs, in Venezuela, at this time, is extremely low. Almost zero.   The things we see on TV are very sad.  For that reason alone, it is wonderful that she was able to go to the USA with her DC.