By now, it is hard for people not to realize that there is a
civil up rest in Venezuela. With the
constant #SOSVenezuela and #PrayforVenezuela hashtags on twitter on Facebook,
plus many politicians and even actors during the Academy Awards making their
stance known, it is hard for people not to realize that there are issues going
on. But what exactly is going on? Is it just a bunch of students protesting for
lower tuition? Workers protesting for
higher wages? It goes much deeper than
that.
On January 6th, 2014, Former Miss Venezuela and
her ex husband, Monica Spear, were killed near Valencia, Venezuela. Protests began shortly after that. On February 1st, opposition leader
Leopoldo Lopez (a Princeton and Harvard educated man[i]),
asked the Venezuelan University students to peacefully protest. Students begin to be arrested and the
government accuses the protestors of being violent. The government issues an arrest warrant for
Lopez
On February 12th,
the day Venezuelans celebrate Youth Day, University students and opposition
party members took to the streets in order to protest against the current
Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro, the current “elected” president of
Venezuela. The protest revolves around
the Venezuelan people demanding:
1.
Better security (According to the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime report, Venezuela’s Murder rate per 100,000 people is
45.1[ii],
the highest in South America and 4th overall in the world),
2.
Shortage of goods that are reminiscent to many
Cuban exiles in Miami of the days when they spent hours in line[iii]
on the island trying to get a loaf of bread.
3.
Freedom of speech. Over the last few years, the government has
slowly shut down TV, newspapers and radio stations. During these protests, news correspondents
have been threatened and kicked out of the country[iv]
The protests have now been going on for a little while. Venezuela is at a very crucial point. The government is getting help, as it has
been for quite some time, from Cuba and the Castro brothers. There are plenty of reports of Cuban troops assisting
the government, using their experience in suppressing the opposition and
operating as a socialist country. If the
opposition stops now, it is all over for Venezuela. Maduro and his regime have operated as a
government that has been legitimately elected, but with the opposition going as
far as they have, and making waves across the world, the government, under the
advisement of Cuba, would have no choice now but to completely keep oppressing
the opposition to ensure that they stay in power.
Keep fighting Venezuela, it will be a tough battle, but one
worth fighting for a beautiful country I once called home.
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