Concerned in Villa Clara About What Is Happening in Venezuela

Concerned in Villa Clara About What Is Happening in Venezuela / Alex
Reinaldo Perez
Posted on February 21, 2014

SANTA CLARA, Cuba – The demonstrations by students and opponents of
President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela are the news of the moment.

Countless media worldwide are focused on the events. The web is full of
videos, images, writing. We Cubans are not unexposed to this; although
we only see and hear what the censored media broadcasts. Remember, we
don't even have free access to the Internet.

While the media on the island catalogs the events as "an intended coup
against Nicolas Maduro planned from abroad," thousands of Cuban families
are desperate, fearing for their family members who are in Venezuela.
According to official figures, 30,000 Cubans are working in this country.

For the relatives of the Cubans "on a mission" in Venezuela, it's nerve
wracking. They think the national TV reports of Cubans carrying on with
their usual activities are false. "Venezuela is burning," is the phrase
that runs from mouth to mouth in this province.

Concern among the population is striking. People know that the fall of
Maduro and Chavismo could strongly affect the daily lives of Cubans.

Loreto del Sol Pérez remembers that during the so-called "Special
Period" in the 1990s, high-ranking officials weren't affected: they
monopolized the food supply, fuel, basic necessities, and became the
black market suppliers.

Mrs. Omara Diaz says that if the Special Period returns, she won't be
taken by surprise. To the extent her pension reaches, she will buy a few
candles for the blackouts. She also commented that she's looking for the
oven her son concocted during the Special Period for cooking with sawdust.

Rafael Villavicencio, retired from the Interior Ministry, said that the
events in Venezuela are caused by the government of the United States of
America. He added that they were "mercenary actions to prevent the
integration of Latin American countries, where Venezuela plays a super
important role."

Meanwhile, Mario Ruano, a retired professor of Marxism and History
concluded that the "coup attempt" is a response by Barack Obama to the
"successful" summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean
States (CELAC), recently held in Havana.

According to the dissident Guillermo del Sol Pérez, Venezuelans taking
to street in demonstrations have the view that Maduro wants to implement
the regime of the Castro brothers in the land of Simon Bolivar.

The truth is that Venezuela is currently uncertain territory. Cubans are
on the lookout for what happens there. When things calm down most of us,
ordinary Cubans, still won't know what's going on.

Some are asking God not to let Nicolas Maduro cede the reins of
Venezuela because they imagine what awaits us if that happens.

Simply that, for elemental survival.

Cubanet, 21 February 2014, Alex Reinaldo Perez

Source: Concerned in Villa Clara About What Is Happening in Venezuela /
Alex Reinaldo Perez | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/concerned-in-villa-clara-about-what-is-happening-in-venezuela-alex-reinaldo-perez/