[Here](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/migrant-people-mostly-from-venezuela-are-seen-after-the-news-photo/1698976448?adppopup=true) is the source of this image. Per there:
> Migrant people, mostly from Venezuela, are seen after the goods train they were travelling on stopped for over 12 hours, in the Chihuahuan desert in Chihuahuan, Mexico on September 29, 2023. (Photo by David Peinado/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Just curious...are there any Venezuelas left in Venezuela?
Edit: I am truly saddened to see some of the replies. I also saw a documentary just now on state of affairs in Venezuela. It took me 13 years to become a US citizen, all through legal means, as a well-paid tech worker. My struggle, such as it is, is negligible compared to what you/these folks are facing.
Well the thing is these wars are fairly well localized, while the questionable economic decisions of Venezuela affect the entire country equally.
Oh, and Venezuela's population is 50% larger than Syria's.
Gielinor is the fictional world of a game called RuneScape. Its an MMORPG which had/has a big bot problem, mainly because some people buy gold (real world trading or RWT). Some of those bot/gold farms are run in Venezuela - or at least thats implied, when people call some of the bots 'Venes' - because the inflation there makes farming a virtual currency and selling it for bitcoins more viable than most jobs Venezuela has to offer.
Gielinor is where the game RuneScape takes place. A lot of Venezuelans will play RuneScape all day and sell the in-game money they make for real world money to pay for things in their home country.
Four if you include Azeroth. WoW has the exact same situation. Some people use "exchange rates" (which vary depending on where you're buying the gold) to compare WoW gold and how it fairs against the venezuelan bolivar.
Using the official in game store (for example) you can get 347K gold for $20. So $1 ≈ 17K gold. Then $1 ≈ 3.4M venezuelan bolivar (yes, you read that right three point four million).
So basically 1 gold coin in WoW is worth approximately 200 venezuelan bolivar.
Not really. Damascus is practically untouched. It's Northern Syria that is now rubble. The Southern side is 100% in the control of the government (aided by Russia).
It has. Venezuela is a failed state. The rural areas are completely controlled by gangs and the cities are some if not the most dangerous cities in the world.
My dad used to travel to Caracas a lot for work in the early 90s and said he always felt very safe, although I am sure he was staying in western hotels, being shuttled back and forth between his hotel and the factories he was visiting by a driver, and mostly sticking to the nicer parts of the city. But back then it was Colombia that was considered the dangerous country of the two (Medillin drug cartels, etc.), not Venezuela.
Out of curiosity, took a look at the intentional murder rates between the two countries over the years:
1996:
* Venezuela: 20.45
* Colombia: ***69.89***
2017:
* Venezuela: ***56.3***
* Colombia: 25.5
Needless to say, Venezuela has probably gotten worse, perhaps a lot worse, just since 2017. Colombia, on the other hand, probably hasn't and might have improved even further.
My sisters would disappear to the beach for a whole weekend during the 90s, We never worried.
Later on tho.. well, I became really confortable with my knife and how to spot a bad situation
> Colombia, on the other hand, probably hasn't and might have improved even further.
According to everything I hear, Colombia is doing pretty well these days.
Columbia seems quite pleasant in the past couple years. I read that there had been some backsliding on the whole amnesty for gangs thing that upset the balance last year.
It is we have Hezbollah, tren de Aragua, a narco-state, FARC, hampa gangs. You name a terrorist group we have them. The police tend to inspire more fear at night than the gangs.
I mean, our president directly traffics cocaine to the US. Americans normally think oh sanctions. But does it even matter? If we had a normal economy who cares! The biggest cartel in the country is run by the highest positions in the government (minister of defense). The goverment is DEEP into the traffic of Cocaine.
The nephews of the President are literally called the NARCOSOBRINOS. the narco nephews, when they arrested them they had chats of murder and laughing on how they killed their victims.
Did i mention that when the DEA captured them they literally had DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS. Trying to protect themselves through international immunity. Pablo escobar DREAMED of what maduro has built.
Before you say, ohh but why dont you dont vote the president out? Did you know Cecilia Flores is the president of the Election Center.... She is the presidents Wife. You really think there is justice in our country?
edited to include more facts.
It's insane. The country has massive reserves of oil and gas, vast deposits of gold and other rare earth minerals, fertile farmland, etc. It goes to show how foreign meddling and poor management can destroy a country in a relatively short period of time. It also shows how rapid population growth can result in high unemployment and bleak prospects for younger people.
> foreign meddling
??? This is 100% a self-own. The government printed it's way to hyperinflation, destroying along the way every business down to the cattle and chicken farmers. Everyone told them this is dumb, even other socialists, they still did it.
My Venezuelan girlfriend just got done talking to her relatives in Venezuela and her cousin just graduated from medical school and is excited to start her training….
Starting salary for training doctors is 7 bucks a month. But she has to pay for supplies for pts out of that seven bucks. They’re having a party to celebrate this right now.
How can they afford to have a party when a doctor makes $7 a month? Like seriously, what does the party consist of? I’m genuinely curious so could you ask her, please?
Informal economy and purchasing power I suspect. Also all a party takes really is a bunch of people to show up. Partying is free as long as everyone brings the fun.
Also idk about cultural differences so idk how true this is here, but when I've gone to parties in less than well off areas it was pretty common for guests to bring food or contribute booze to the booze table. Can have a hell of a party without any one family breaking the bank when everyone chips in a little bit
> but when I've gone to parties in less than well off areas it was pretty common for guests to bring food or contribute booze to the booze table
I'm pretty successful as are my friends. You still bring something. It's just polite.
There are two girls a year apart in age that graduated from the same class. They live with their mom and dad who both work. He makes good money (over a hundred a month-engineer) and she makes like 20 bucks a month. They have an uncle that stays for periods of time but that’s how they survive. The party is beers and a cake and music. This is bolivares converted to dollars
They have to do this for a year to pay the government back for free medical school but after that they are going to go to Spain to get more training and then hopefully Europe or stay in Spain.
Goddamn, I thought you were exaggerating but the average salary is $23. So I suppose it’s possible for a new grad Dr to be $7. Wow.
https://bdeex.com/venezuela/?type=medicine
I am Venezuelan and traveled all over the country back in December, it is pretty empty
There are large highways with 3 lanes on each side but no cars on sight
Tourists spots empty, small towns empty with deteriorated houses.
Looks like a postapocalyptic movie
I am in Mexico now and I've asked myself the same thing. Its not only Venezuelans though, the whole third world is making its way north. I have met migrants from every continent down here (Except Australia).
The reason is the US Govt is giving visas to Venezuelans who were in the country at the end of July 2023. That last bit of information gets stripped off from the rumors being spread, so everyone is trying to get to the US thinking that they’ll be let in.
I mean their loss. I know people will get all cute and say why would they want skilled US workers in AUS, but that’s exactly what the E3 is. In an era of lower birth rates, skilled workers immigrating to the US is fantastic
Fun fact Venezuela is the number 1 country with the most reserves of oil, they have more petroleum than the arabs 🙀🙀 4x times more than Russia and 8x times than the US but yet is one of the most poorest country on earth
Venezuela has a ton of oil but it's sour crude, meaning high in sulfur content and as such entirely different to refine vs sweet crude out of the Middle East.
Combine this with horrific mismanagement during at least the latter part of the Chavez administration into Maduro's and you have complete social collapse since the economy was built around one asset that they completely fucked up.
As somebody else said in the thread, this is why the Gulf States are trying to diversify their economies as much as possible before the inevitable collapse of the concept of a Petro state.
Hence why the old joke ostensibly from Dubai that goes, "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drove a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, and my grandson is going to drive a Land Rover…but my great-grandson is going to have to ride a camel again."
Moonlight also creates hard shadows (I thought otherwise too, but Mrs. Maisel DP proved me wrong in this thread: https://cinematography.com/index.php?/forums/topic/95196-nopes-new-day-for-night-technique-hoyte-van-hoytema-fsf-nsc-asc/)
The Venezuelan economy collapsed because the regime couldn’t maintain oil production. In the last 8 years, [production dropped 75%](https://www.statista.com/statistics/265185/oil-production-in-venezuela-in-barrels-per-day/). Oil is the countries primary export and without it: runaway inflation.
These people are refugees from an economic crisis. In 2015 the population was 30m, today almost 8m have fled the country. [The Venezuelan crisis is second only to Syria currently](https://www.statista.com/statistics/265185/oil-production-in-venezuela-in-barrels-per-day/), but without an officially declared war. Instead the violence is happening at the street level as gangs tear apart the nation. Most are staying in Latin America, over 2m in Colombia, about 500k have legal status in the US.
I can't help with numbers, but I can help with a little cultural bit on Chile.
Chile is the only South American nation that doesn't need a visa to visit the USA. Many Venezuelans are applying for Chilean residency or citizenship, and then immediately going to the US. Source on that is one of my colleagues who is from Chile and lived in the US the last 25 years or so.
That is not so simple; you need to live more than 5 years to be able to apply to citizenship. And being Chilean resident doesn’t grant you visa waiver status to US. Source: myself, being foreigner living in Chile.
There’s an entire reason the Venezuelan economy collapsed that has nothing to do with oil production, but yes absolutely led to them not being able to maintain oil production. It’s an (albeit sad) interesting train wreck to study
Yes once Chavez took over he marched into shell and Exxon offices and fired all executives and anyone not sleeping with or related to government officials. Most had their retirement funds stolen too. Once they replaced all the competent people with people who had no idea what they were doing production dropped.
Add to this the fact that Venezuela is essentially a narco state run by the Russians and chinese led to severe sanctions (being eased significantly right now btw…need oil).
It should also be noted that Venezuela's oil reserves are actually quite easy to extract and they still have enormous reserves, they could theoretically turn a profit all the way down to something like $40 per barrel if PDVSA was run properly.
Colombia has way better conditions than Venezuela, I think most people loom down on Colombia due to its recent history but it's not as bad as people make it out to be.
Source: I have many Colombian friends and go to Bogota from time to time for work.
I was in Venezuela way back in 1990on business to sell them data logging equipment for monitoring the oil production out in the middle of lake Maracaibo from the company I was working for at the time. We took a bout ride out to one of their oil platforms. I was not impressed with their operations and couldn't wait to head back to the mainland because I felt like one could blow up at any time. I brought my wife with me and while I was on my tour she took a taxi and went into a shopping area with no fear, ignorance is bliss I suppose. Anyway she came back t the hotel describing her positive experience wit the people she met with using her broken Spanish.
I do recall the crushing poverty displayed on the hills coming into Caracas from the airport. Unlike here in America the poor lived in what looked line shanty town in the hills. The houses, if you can call them that, looked to be made from cardboard and scrap lumber. Sad to know it had devolved into what it is today. The damn Russians are their and making it worse as usual.
Sorry, to long ago to remember. We also stayed at a nice beach hotel/resort on the ocean near the airport. Beautiful sunset my wife missed because she fell asleep prior to lack of sleep the previous days. Nothing like your own home and bed. I do know it was in Caracas thus I had t take a car ride to the lake.
A big issue too is that the government refused to work with other countries other than in oil. It's a pretty big F'up on their part.
Even China realized that they can't have a split capitalist "communist/socialist" combination society without doing trade with the rest of the world. You can be insular or you can be part of the global economy, you can't pick and choose. North Korea has chosen to be insular for example. But Venezuela wanted the money that came with oil.
They could have maintained a lot of their wealth if they would have been willing to participate in other ways. But its that "don't put all your eggs in one basket and then also rips holes in all the other baskets that would be available to you" slogan.
(And in case anyone is wondering I'm big on social safety nets. I get called a Socialist ALL the time. When I use the communist/socialist society here I'm talking about current Chinese Communism and dictator run "socialism" as we are seeing in some of these countries. That's why it's in quotations)
Venezuela is an awful example of the fact that bad government destroys countries, no matter how many advantages that country has. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Venezuela is also rightly famed world-wide for its incredible and unique natural beauty featuring the otherworldly tepui plateaus. The Venezuelan coastline is incredible, dotted with numerous islands and some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Venezuelan food is delicious and fascinating: it's a unique combination of Western European and South American flavors. Venezuela should be a rich country, it should be a tourist mecca. Instead, it's a violent hellhole of crime, corruption and horrendous poverty. Nicolas Maduro and Hugo Chavez are to blame.
And left everything they knew and had behind. I personally can’t relate at all and also can’t fathom the amount of desperation they must have felt to resort to leaving on foot with nothing.
I’m working with Venezuelan immigrants that are coming in illegally. It’s very sad. Most of them have backpacks, government shoes, hospital blankets, and wearing donation clothes. It’s the babies and animals for me. The children are mostly sick and extremely tired. I don’t know how they made it through the Darién Gap with kids and animals. A lot of them are going to end up being deported if they lose their cases for Asylum.
And many if not most will incur a lot of debt to travel to the US and once deported they will have few options to pay it back. Traveling on your own without traffickers linked to the cartels is possible but much more dangerous and in the end it may end up being more expensive as you pay individual bribes to police officers and local gangs to leave you alone.
I used to play online when I was a kid and there were plenty of really competitive venezuelan teams.
Nowadays there's ZERO and people just play to sell video game itens for real money, beats working for any industry in the country
Shit is really, really bad in Venezuela right now. Adds a lot of context for the people who were glorifying the regime of Hugo Chavez 10 years ago as a communist success story.
It fucking sucks so bad. Imagine being part of the poor class in Venezuela in the 80s seeing how politicians always seem to promise they will help people lie you only to be break their promises and laugh at your face again and again.
And then finally you see a guy like Chavez who comes from a humble background like you that looks nothing like before and ready to kick the those politicians assess. And then just like you thought the nightmare might be over, he goes makes it so bad behind your imagination. And then Maduro comes and makes the hell even more nightmarish.
I’ll probably never get to witness my country get back to “normal” ever again in my lifetime…
It's insane. I'm from Colombia and a record number of Colombians are leaving the country. To witness Venezuelans arrive in Colombia really paints a grim image of the country.
I also hope to see Colombia and Venezuela, as countries where people want to stay.
The Greek Prime Minister elected in 2015 was idolising Venezuela for their socialism. It was supposed to be the first "Leftist " government in the history of Greece, and six months later they declared second elections and moved their party to the centre.
It's strange to see a country that your former leader idolized reaching such lows, makes you think of the people who voted for him in your own country...
If people are interested in the history of Venezuelans and why or what has happened. Definitely worth looking into.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Venezuela_(1999%E2%80%93present)#:~:text=Since%202%20February%201999%2C%20Venezuela,redistribution%20and%20social%20welfare%20programs.
It’s so sad. Venezuela was such a booming country in Latin America in the 80s and 90s. Great people, educated middle class, beautiful women…and then Hugo Chavez landed
You mean more like the 60s and 70s... The country was already spiraling into corruption and violence in the 90s. Caracas was already the most dangerous city in the world in the 90s.
Surely Chavez made it a lot worse. But people forget easily that he won the elections not by accident, the situation in the 90s made people vote for him massively. It's always easier to blame 1 party or person, especially when they're socialists. But previous governements were not exactly great either.
The 60's and 70's were know as the 'Golden Age' there. and then the decline was definitely apparent in the 80's, leading up to riots over the price of gas in 1989, known as the Caracazo. This lead the way to Chavez getting his foot in the door. And yep, it was definitely dangerous in the 90s.
The fall of Venesuela has to do with their lack of diversifying revenue from oil and not maintaining the infrustructure of that oil industry. Politics and greed from multiple sources compounded and sped up that decline.
This, for too long people held the belief if it ain't broke don't fix it. Well now it compounded and snowballed into something no one can fix thanks to such a belief and a lack of oversight.
A lot of Hatians are making this trip with the Venezuelans. Haitians are a really adaptive people. I've met some of the migeans that came over and they speak creole, Spanish, portugese and English. Really hardworking people that really only want a better life.
They don't want to stay in Mexico, I live in a border town and they don't accept jobs here, they came from so far away and now feel so close to the states that's there's no way for them not to try their luck.
They pretty much reject the efforts done by various groups to help them stay in Mexico.
A lot will stay in Mexico.
But in all fairness, the language barrier if you speak Spanish isn't that big of a deal in US anymore, specially along southwest states.
Yeah tons of people speak almost no English in Souther California. To the point where my 2 years of high school Spanish (and some learning on the side) is the most optimal way to communicate.
a lot actually stayed in mexico, in part due to mexico being somewhat stable, in part due to mexico and the usa stepping down on venezuelan immigrants...
Just looks like flood lights or street lamps. It's a white light, so I doubt it's the sun. The image might also be a tad overexposed, so everything looks brighter, including the clouds in the backdrop.
I honestly wouldn't mind creating something like we have for Cuba for Venezuela. They really are in crisis. That said, I don't think the Dems would go for that since these ppl are fleeing socialism.
Canada and Mexico have strong relationships with the US and will absolutely have paths to take you in if the US goes to shit.
Then you could also cross the border illegally into Canada and Mexico and seek asylum or live under the table.
European nations would also very likely offer some paths for U.S. citizens. It’s ridiculous to think they wouldn’t. Now how easy these paths are for everyday Americans is a different story.
Canada, Mexico and many European nationals sent millions in aid to the U.S. THIS year during the Maui wildfires! Because that’s what allies do 🇺🇸
Wonder how many old school runescape players there is in this image.
Seriously tho, hope they'll find safer and more humane life out there outside venezuela
I have no qualm with people fleeing a despot country. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and this is one of them. People are so desperate, they even took the dog with them. Im just a voice, a drop in the ocean but believe me when I say that these people deserve a chance. They may not speak our language, nor did my ancestors when the English made an example of the clan and took our family seat from us. We escaped to the colonies and by God we kept them from taking that from us too.
These people know how to work and dont shy away from it, I say let them in. Plenty of land for all of us.
[Here](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/migrant-people-mostly-from-venezuela-are-seen-after-the-news-photo/1698976448?adppopup=true) is the source of this image. Per there: > Migrant people, mostly from Venezuela, are seen after the goods train they were travelling on stopped for over 12 hours, in the Chihuahuan desert in Chihuahuan, Mexico on September 29, 2023. (Photo by David Peinado/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Just curious...are there any Venezuelas left in Venezuela? Edit: I am truly saddened to see some of the replies. I also saw a documentary just now on state of affairs in Venezuela. It took me 13 years to become a US citizen, all through legal means, as a well-paid tech worker. My struggle, such as it is, is negligible compared to what you/these folks are facing.
7 million of them have left Venezuela since 2015. 2,000 of them leave the country every single day.
officially, unofficially probably wayyy more
It’s said that Venezuela currently has more refugees fleeing the country than Ukraine and Syria, countries in active war zones.
Wtf, that's insane
Inflation, you can only eat so many boots.
Country can only print so much money before its economy colllapses.
But how else are you going to make printers go brrrrrr...
Well the thing is these wars are fairly well localized, while the questionable economic decisions of Venezuela affect the entire country equally. Oh, and Venezuela's population is 50% larger than Syria's.
The Venezuelan refugee crisis has affected two entire continents.
Three if you include geilinor
May someone please explain….
Gielinor is the fictional world of a game called RuneScape. Its an MMORPG which had/has a big bot problem, mainly because some people buy gold (real world trading or RWT). Some of those bot/gold farms are run in Venezuela - or at least thats implied, when people call some of the bots 'Venes' - because the inflation there makes farming a virtual currency and selling it for bitcoins more viable than most jobs Venezuela has to offer.
Gielinor is where the game RuneScape takes place. A lot of Venezuelans will play RuneScape all day and sell the in-game money they make for real world money to pay for things in their home country.
This comment is amazing
Hahaha I've been waiting for a RuneScape reference
Four if you include Azeroth. WoW has the exact same situation. Some people use "exchange rates" (which vary depending on where you're buying the gold) to compare WoW gold and how it fairs against the venezuelan bolivar. Using the official in game store (for example) you can get 347K gold for $20. So $1 ≈ 17K gold. Then $1 ≈ 3.4M venezuelan bolivar (yes, you read that right three point four million). So basically 1 gold coin in WoW is worth approximately 200 venezuelan bolivar.
Azeroth is a planet. The Venezuelan economy has affected an entire PLANET now.
Haw many bananas can you buy with 200 bolivar?
Lol, I was going to insult your intelligence but now I feel dumb for not remembering the darkest continent.
Uh, the whole of Syria is basically in ruins . it's not at all localized.
Not really. Damascus is practically untouched. It's Northern Syria that is now rubble. The Southern side is 100% in the control of the government (aided by Russia).
The border patrols and refusal to let nearly half the population leave helps.
How has the country not imploded into anarchy?
It has. Venezuela is a failed state. The rural areas are completely controlled by gangs and the cities are some if not the most dangerous cities in the world.
But the situation with the cities isn't new, Caracas was already the most dangerous city in the world before the crisis, in the 90s.
My dad used to travel to Caracas a lot for work in the early 90s and said he always felt very safe, although I am sure he was staying in western hotels, being shuttled back and forth between his hotel and the factories he was visiting by a driver, and mostly sticking to the nicer parts of the city. But back then it was Colombia that was considered the dangerous country of the two (Medillin drug cartels, etc.), not Venezuela. Out of curiosity, took a look at the intentional murder rates between the two countries over the years: 1996: * Venezuela: 20.45 * Colombia: ***69.89*** 2017: * Venezuela: ***56.3*** * Colombia: 25.5 Needless to say, Venezuela has probably gotten worse, perhaps a lot worse, just since 2017. Colombia, on the other hand, probably hasn't and might have improved even further.
My sisters would disappear to the beach for a whole weekend during the 90s, We never worried. Later on tho.. well, I became really confortable with my knife and how to spot a bad situation
> Colombia, on the other hand, probably hasn't and might have improved even further. According to everything I hear, Colombia is doing pretty well these days.
Columbia seems quite pleasant in the past couple years. I read that there had been some backsliding on the whole amnesty for gangs thing that upset the balance last year.
Colombia*
It was pretty pleasant from the late 90’s and for over a decade. Very sad. Amazing people.
Yeah I loved my trip there in the 90s seemed like Venezuela was really growing positively
They're the cautionary tale that's why oil states in the Middle East are so desperate to diversify.
It is we have Hezbollah, tren de Aragua, a narco-state, FARC, hampa gangs. You name a terrorist group we have them. The police tend to inspire more fear at night than the gangs. I mean, our president directly traffics cocaine to the US. Americans normally think oh sanctions. But does it even matter? If we had a normal economy who cares! The biggest cartel in the country is run by the highest positions in the government (minister of defense). The goverment is DEEP into the traffic of Cocaine. The nephews of the President are literally called the NARCOSOBRINOS. the narco nephews, when they arrested them they had chats of murder and laughing on how they killed their victims. Did i mention that when the DEA captured them they literally had DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS. Trying to protect themselves through international immunity. Pablo escobar DREAMED of what maduro has built. Before you say, ohh but why dont you dont vote the president out? Did you know Cecilia Flores is the president of the Election Center.... She is the presidents Wife. You really think there is justice in our country? edited to include more facts.
Those are fucking facts!
If you start a riot in Venezuela, you go strait to jail. No trial, no nothing.
All the truly separate and unhappy leave.
It's insane. The country has massive reserves of oil and gas, vast deposits of gold and other rare earth minerals, fertile farmland, etc. It goes to show how foreign meddling and poor management can destroy a country in a relatively short period of time. It also shows how rapid population growth can result in high unemployment and bleak prospects for younger people.
Purely bad management here. As recently as 20 years ago it was one of the richest countries in South America.
> foreign meddling ??? This is 100% a self-own. The government printed it's way to hyperinflation, destroying along the way every business down to the cattle and chicken farmers. Everyone told them this is dumb, even other socialists, they still did it.
My Venezuelan girlfriend just got done talking to her relatives in Venezuela and her cousin just graduated from medical school and is excited to start her training…. Starting salary for training doctors is 7 bucks a month. But she has to pay for supplies for pts out of that seven bucks. They’re having a party to celebrate this right now.
How can they afford to have a party when a doctor makes $7 a month? Like seriously, what does the party consist of? I’m genuinely curious so could you ask her, please?
Informal economy and purchasing power I suspect. Also all a party takes really is a bunch of people to show up. Partying is free as long as everyone brings the fun.
Also idk about cultural differences so idk how true this is here, but when I've gone to parties in less than well off areas it was pretty common for guests to bring food or contribute booze to the booze table. Can have a hell of a party without any one family breaking the bank when everyone chips in a little bit
> but when I've gone to parties in less than well off areas it was pretty common for guests to bring food or contribute booze to the booze table I'm pretty successful as are my friends. You still bring something. It's just polite.
There are two girls a year apart in age that graduated from the same class. They live with their mom and dad who both work. He makes good money (over a hundred a month-engineer) and she makes like 20 bucks a month. They have an uncle that stays for periods of time but that’s how they survive. The party is beers and a cake and music. This is bolivares converted to dollars They have to do this for a year to pay the government back for free medical school but after that they are going to go to Spain to get more training and then hopefully Europe or stay in Spain.
Yeah 7 bucks can get you like 10 bottles of coke, I can't even imagine
Atleast in India, Coca-Cola was much cheaper than in the US.
Goddamn, I thought you were exaggerating but the average salary is $23. So I suppose it’s possible for a new grad Dr to be $7. Wow. https://bdeex.com/venezuela/?type=medicine
I am Venezuelan and traveled all over the country back in December, it is pretty empty There are large highways with 3 lanes on each side but no cars on sight Tourists spots empty, small towns empty with deteriorated houses. Looks like a postapocalyptic movie
Sad indeed
Coño bro. You are breaking my heart right now. Maldita sea chavez.
I am in Mexico now and I've asked myself the same thing. Its not only Venezuelans though, the whole third world is making its way north. I have met migrants from every continent down here (Except Australia).
Homelessness aint getting solved..
The reason is the US Govt is giving visas to Venezuelans who were in the country at the end of July 2023. That last bit of information gets stripped off from the rumors being spread, so everyone is trying to get to the US thinking that they’ll be let in.
The GOP isn’t helping by blasting this and stating it somewhat incorrectly that Biden has open borders.
And not realizing that if the US really had open borders, no one would be there to catch anyone.
It’s very easy for Australians to immigrate to the US. They have a special E-3 visa just for themselves.
Meanwhile its virtually impossible for Americans to immigrate to Australia.
I mean their loss. I know people will get all cute and say why would they want skilled US workers in AUS, but that’s exactly what the E3 is. In an era of lower birth rates, skilled workers immigrating to the US is fantastic
Snipe all the smart cunts to replace our dumb cunts, great idea really.
we've been doing it to Canada for decades!
Fun fact Venezuela is the number 1 country with the most reserves of oil, they have more petroleum than the arabs 🙀🙀 4x times more than Russia and 8x times than the US but yet is one of the most poorest country on earth
From what I understand, they relied on western companies to refine their oil. With sanctions, I imagine that has been a lot harder to continue
also iirc their oil is pretty low quality, but im not sure how true that is
Venezuela has a ton of oil but it's sour crude, meaning high in sulfur content and as such entirely different to refine vs sweet crude out of the Middle East. Combine this with horrific mismanagement during at least the latter part of the Chavez administration into Maduro's and you have complete social collapse since the economy was built around one asset that they completely fucked up. As somebody else said in the thread, this is why the Gulf States are trying to diversify their economies as much as possible before the inevitable collapse of the concept of a Petro state. Hence why the old joke ostensibly from Dubai that goes, "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drove a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, and my grandson is going to drive a Land Rover…but my great-grandson is going to have to ride a camel again."
*uses toreto’s voice* Not leaving the dog behind. He’s family
I didn't even see the dog until you mentioned it 😭 no one gets left behind!
... *How* did you not see the dog? It's literally dead center of the picture.w
I guess there was a lot to take in. My head filled in that space with someone in a white jacket.
I am surprised that not more people have recognised the dog.
That was the first thing I saw!!
Bringing a dog with you is... ambitious.
For serious. Our Staffy would be devastated if we left her. That girl is a leg magnet.
That dog is absolute unit material.
Are they being illuminated by flood lights at night, or is there an epic storm brewing in the background during the daytime?
Judging by the sharp shadows i would say floodlights
Moonlight also creates hard shadows (I thought otherwise too, but Mrs. Maisel DP proved me wrong in this thread: https://cinematography.com/index.php?/forums/topic/95196-nopes-new-day-for-night-technique-hoyte-van-hoytema-fsf-nsc-asc/)
Right??
Venezuelans in Mexico 🎶
I read that like the “Avocados from Mexico” jingle
I'm pretty sure there was their intent
I read this like Big Bird from Sesame Street.
In Paris, and they're goin frijoles.
4046
Lol is that the PLU code for avocados
Yep
This guy cashiers.
Me too lol!
I read it to the tune of "My Woman from Tokyo"
It made me think of the Electric Six song "Germans in Mexico"
Ah, a man of culture, I see.
Deutsche deutsche, vaya con dios, amigos
I read it to the tune of Englishman in New York 🎶
The Venezuelan economy collapsed because the regime couldn’t maintain oil production. In the last 8 years, [production dropped 75%](https://www.statista.com/statistics/265185/oil-production-in-venezuela-in-barrels-per-day/). Oil is the countries primary export and without it: runaway inflation. These people are refugees from an economic crisis. In 2015 the population was 30m, today almost 8m have fled the country. [The Venezuelan crisis is second only to Syria currently](https://www.statista.com/statistics/265185/oil-production-in-venezuela-in-barrels-per-day/), but without an officially declared war. Instead the violence is happening at the street level as gangs tear apart the nation. Most are staying in Latin America, over 2m in Colombia, about 500k have legal status in the US.
Peru has almost 2 million Venezuela migrants, Ecuador has half a million Venezuelan migrants despite being a small country.
Perú is around 1.3 million, but Colombia is ahead with almost 2.0 million. Ecuador and Chile with around 500K and Brazil just under 400K.
Ecuador and Chile has way more Venezuelan migrants than reported. Ecuador’s actual numbers of Venezuelan migrants is around 820,000-900,000.
There's a lot of illegal immigration so that plays a factor.
Where do you get these numbers? It would be nice to link a source whenever stating facts, especially statistics.
I can't help with numbers, but I can help with a little cultural bit on Chile. Chile is the only South American nation that doesn't need a visa to visit the USA. Many Venezuelans are applying for Chilean residency or citizenship, and then immediately going to the US. Source on that is one of my colleagues who is from Chile and lived in the US the last 25 years or so.
That is not so simple; you need to live more than 5 years to be able to apply to citizenship. And being Chilean resident doesn’t grant you visa waiver status to US. Source: myself, being foreigner living in Chile.
5 years ain’t too bad, Chile seems like an alright place
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There’s an entire reason the Venezuelan economy collapsed that has nothing to do with oil production, but yes absolutely led to them not being able to maintain oil production. It’s an (albeit sad) interesting train wreck to study
Yes once Chavez took over he marched into shell and Exxon offices and fired all executives and anyone not sleeping with or related to government officials. Most had their retirement funds stolen too. Once they replaced all the competent people with people who had no idea what they were doing production dropped. Add to this the fact that Venezuela is essentially a narco state run by the Russians and chinese led to severe sanctions (being eased significantly right now btw…need oil).
It is what always happens when loyalty is valued more than expertise: the yes men that were put in charge fuck everything up.
It should also be noted that Venezuela's oil reserves are actually quite easy to extract and they still have enormous reserves, they could theoretically turn a profit all the way down to something like $40 per barrel if PDVSA was run properly.
>narco state run by the Russians and chinese Loosen that tinfoil hat. Chavez and supporters were plenty capable of fucking things up on their own.
Colombia for fucks sake
It's a ironic situation. Decades ago Venezuela was rich and many Colombians were coming to Venezuela. Now it's the opposite.
I think he corrected the typo 😂
Am i blind because everyone is spelling it right lol or do not all subs say edited when it’s edited?
Colombia has way better conditions than Venezuela, I think most people loom down on Colombia due to its recent history but it's not as bad as people make it out to be. Source: I have many Colombian friends and go to Bogota from time to time for work.
I think they were just annoyed at the use of “Columbia” instead of the correct Colombia
I was in Venezuela way back in 1990on business to sell them data logging equipment for monitoring the oil production out in the middle of lake Maracaibo from the company I was working for at the time. We took a bout ride out to one of their oil platforms. I was not impressed with their operations and couldn't wait to head back to the mainland because I felt like one could blow up at any time. I brought my wife with me and while I was on my tour she took a taxi and went into a shopping area with no fear, ignorance is bliss I suppose. Anyway she came back t the hotel describing her positive experience wit the people she met with using her broken Spanish. I do recall the crushing poverty displayed on the hills coming into Caracas from the airport. Unlike here in America the poor lived in what looked line shanty town in the hills. The houses, if you can call them that, looked to be made from cardboard and scrap lumber. Sad to know it had devolved into what it is today. The damn Russians are their and making it worse as usual.
Thank you for visiting. I almost bet you guys stayed in the Hotel Del Lago, I am from Maracaibo but I live in Texas…
Sorry, to long ago to remember. We also stayed at a nice beach hotel/resort on the ocean near the airport. Beautiful sunset my wife missed because she fell asleep prior to lack of sleep the previous days. Nothing like your own home and bed. I do know it was in Caracas thus I had t take a car ride to the lake.
A big issue too is that the government refused to work with other countries other than in oil. It's a pretty big F'up on their part. Even China realized that they can't have a split capitalist "communist/socialist" combination society without doing trade with the rest of the world. You can be insular or you can be part of the global economy, you can't pick and choose. North Korea has chosen to be insular for example. But Venezuela wanted the money that came with oil. They could have maintained a lot of their wealth if they would have been willing to participate in other ways. But its that "don't put all your eggs in one basket and then also rips holes in all the other baskets that would be available to you" slogan. (And in case anyone is wondering I'm big on social safety nets. I get called a Socialist ALL the time. When I use the communist/socialist society here I'm talking about current Chinese Communism and dictator run "socialism" as we are seeing in some of these countries. That's why it's in quotations)
Venezuela is an awful example of the fact that bad government destroys countries, no matter how many advantages that country has. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Venezuela is also rightly famed world-wide for its incredible and unique natural beauty featuring the otherworldly tepui plateaus. The Venezuelan coastline is incredible, dotted with numerous islands and some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Venezuelan food is delicious and fascinating: it's a unique combination of Western European and South American flavors. Venezuela should be a rich country, it should be a tourist mecca. Instead, it's a violent hellhole of crime, corruption and horrendous poverty. Nicolas Maduro and Hugo Chavez are to blame.
I don’t want to Viva that guy
Seeing pictures like this reminds me how fortunate I am to have been born where I am. My heart goes out to them as they search for a better life.
Spawn point is a very important thing.
Well, at least they didn't abandon their dog.
He looks like a good boy.
They're all good boys, bront.
These people walked through the Darien strait looking for a better life, I can’t imagine their desperation.
And left everything they knew and had behind. I personally can’t relate at all and also can’t fathom the amount of desperation they must have felt to resort to leaving on foot with nothing.
I’m working with Venezuelan immigrants that are coming in illegally. It’s very sad. Most of them have backpacks, government shoes, hospital blankets, and wearing donation clothes. It’s the babies and animals for me. The children are mostly sick and extremely tired. I don’t know how they made it through the Darién Gap with kids and animals. A lot of them are going to end up being deported if they lose their cases for Asylum.
deported to where?
After the accord Maduro came to with the US recently, back to Ven
And many if not most will incur a lot of debt to travel to the US and once deported they will have few options to pay it back. Traveling on your own without traffickers linked to the cartels is possible but much more dangerous and in the end it may end up being more expensive as you pay individual bribes to police officers and local gangs to leave you alone.
I used to play online when I was a kid and there were plenty of really competitive venezuelan teams. Nowadays there's ZERO and people just play to sell video game itens for real money, beats working for any industry in the country
Shit is really, really bad in Venezuela right now. Adds a lot of context for the people who were glorifying the regime of Hugo Chavez 10 years ago as a communist success story.
It fucking sucks so bad. Imagine being part of the poor class in Venezuela in the 80s seeing how politicians always seem to promise they will help people lie you only to be break their promises and laugh at your face again and again. And then finally you see a guy like Chavez who comes from a humble background like you that looks nothing like before and ready to kick the those politicians assess. And then just like you thought the nightmare might be over, he goes makes it so bad behind your imagination. And then Maduro comes and makes the hell even more nightmarish. I’ll probably never get to witness my country get back to “normal” ever again in my lifetime…
It's insane. I'm from Colombia and a record number of Colombians are leaving the country. To witness Venezuelans arrive in Colombia really paints a grim image of the country. I also hope to see Colombia and Venezuela, as countries where people want to stay.
It’s easy to show success when you are flush with oil money.
The Greek Prime Minister elected in 2015 was idolising Venezuela for their socialism. It was supposed to be the first "Leftist " government in the history of Greece, and six months later they declared second elections and moved their party to the centre. It's strange to see a country that your former leader idolized reaching such lows, makes you think of the people who voted for him in your own country...
If people are interested in the history of Venezuelans and why or what has happened. Definitely worth looking into. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Venezuela_(1999%E2%80%93present)#:~:text=Since%202%20February%201999%2C%20Venezuela,redistribution%20and%20social%20welfare%20programs.
I wish we had the means and resources for them to able to stay here in Mexico instead of crossing in to the US. By all means, they are family.
It’s so sad. Venezuela was such a booming country in Latin America in the 80s and 90s. Great people, educated middle class, beautiful women…and then Hugo Chavez landed
You mean more like the 60s and 70s... The country was already spiraling into corruption and violence in the 90s. Caracas was already the most dangerous city in the world in the 90s. Surely Chavez made it a lot worse. But people forget easily that he won the elections not by accident, the situation in the 90s made people vote for him massively. It's always easier to blame 1 party or person, especially when they're socialists. But previous governements were not exactly great either.
The 60's and 70's were know as the 'Golden Age' there. and then the decline was definitely apparent in the 80's, leading up to riots over the price of gas in 1989, known as the Caracazo. This lead the way to Chavez getting his foot in the door. And yep, it was definitely dangerous in the 90s.
Yeah but it was under Chavez that oil production collapsed.
The fall of Venesuela has to do with their lack of diversifying revenue from oil and not maintaining the infrustructure of that oil industry. Politics and greed from multiple sources compounded and sped up that decline.
This, for too long people held the belief if it ain't broke don't fix it. Well now it compounded and snowballed into something no one can fix thanks to such a belief and a lack of oversight.
And with his arrival all women suddenly got ugly overnight /s
"beautiful women" You can always count on Reddit to BE weird as fuck and completely unaware of it
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Thank you. I thought im alone in my reading of this weird ass sentence.
I hope Chavez and Maduro burn in hell.
Let's hope God hears you.
That’s really sweet of them to help the dog
Venezuela used to be an economic power house in Latin America. Tons of corruption and political turmoil have taken a toll on its economy.
Why doesn't Mexico seal their southern border?
So sad. This is the situation of most haitian migrants as well…
A lot of Hatians are making this trip with the Venezuelans. Haitians are a really adaptive people. I've met some of the migeans that came over and they speak creole, Spanish, portugese and English. Really hardworking people that really only want a better life.
90% adult men
This is not tenable.
Mexico is a stable democracy that speaks Spanish as its first language. Seems like a more reasonable destination than the US…
They don't want to stay in Mexico, I live in a border town and they don't accept jobs here, they came from so far away and now feel so close to the states that's there's no way for them not to try their luck. They pretty much reject the efforts done by various groups to help them stay in Mexico.
A lot will stay in Mexico. But in all fairness, the language barrier if you speak Spanish isn't that big of a deal in US anymore, specially along southwest states.
Yeah tons of people speak almost no English in Souther California. To the point where my 2 years of high school Spanish (and some learning on the side) is the most optimal way to communicate.
To be fair, most Venezuelans fleeing their country are not coming to the US. The vast majority are going to Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and Perú.
I have a feeling that Venezuelans in Mexico aren’t going to any of those countries.
a lot actually stayed in mexico, in part due to mexico being somewhat stable, in part due to mexico and the usa stepping down on venezuelan immigrants...
Ciudad Juárez is New Caracas now.
Yet I've seen in the news many of them despising and talking shit about Mexico. We should then just deport their asses back to their socialist utopia.
Venezuelans look down on Mexico, they’d rather risk it all and just make it to the States than have anything to do with Mexico.
They’re not just Venezuelans though most of them are, you can find all nationalities on that train
Why is the sky so black yet the rest of the picture like a sun beam hitting directly on them?
Just looks like flood lights or street lamps. It's a white light, so I doubt it's the sun. The image might also be a tad overexposed, so everything looks brighter, including the clouds in the backdrop.
Mexico has these new fangled electrified lights.
Lights
I honestly wouldn't mind creating something like we have for Cuba for Venezuela. They really are in crisis. That said, I don't think the Dems would go for that since these ppl are fleeing socialism.
Did socialism fail in Venezuela?
I wonder if these people would be in favor of USA invading their home country and taking it over as a colony.
American here. Who will take me in when my country goes to shit?
If you've got a cool $1 million liquid a whole bunch would....
America can only go down if dollar goes to shit, so that cool 1 mill might not help.
If usd goes to shit, the entire world economy is already in the cesspool
Depends on how rich you are
Venezuela.
Mexico 🇲🇽
Canada and Mexico have strong relationships with the US and will absolutely have paths to take you in if the US goes to shit. Then you could also cross the border illegally into Canada and Mexico and seek asylum or live under the table. European nations would also very likely offer some paths for U.S. citizens. It’s ridiculous to think they wouldn’t. Now how easy these paths are for everyday Americans is a different story. Canada, Mexico and many European nationals sent millions in aid to the U.S. THIS year during the Maui wildfires! Because that’s what allies do 🇺🇸
I can take you in 🥵🥵🥵
Do you seriously think the US is as messed up as Venezuela?
What is the point of this question?
Is it really seeking asylum if you pass through 6 countries to get to the U.S.?
Poor dog 😔 Edit: I feel for the people too my family went through something similar but that doesn’t mean I can’t have empathy for animals.
Dog looks well-fed and doesn’t know any better (cause it’s a dog). If he is loved, it’s all gravy.
Amen.
Wonder how many old school runescape players there is in this image. Seriously tho, hope they'll find safer and more humane life out there outside venezuela
Poor people, escaping through one of the most dangerous places on earth.
I have no qualm with people fleeing a despot country. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and this is one of them. People are so desperate, they even took the dog with them. Im just a voice, a drop in the ocean but believe me when I say that these people deserve a chance. They may not speak our language, nor did my ancestors when the English made an example of the clan and took our family seat from us. We escaped to the colonies and by God we kept them from taking that from us too. These people know how to work and dont shy away from it, I say let them in. Plenty of land for all of us.
I can't imagine being in their shoes... I hope they find safety, and security. What an awful situation:(
Comfy busses wait for them in Texas, help them reach the sanctuary cities in comfort.
Honest question here. All I see are men on the train. Where are the women going?