The aftermath of the Venezuelan elections
Our intern Stephen has been watching the chaos and joy of the country’s annual elections unfold; what will it mean for Venezuela?
A few days have passed and the dust has more or less settled since the annual elections. There had been an air of anticipation and slight apprehension before the big day but it’s fair to say that now there is an atmosphere of joy and relief about the place. I wasn’t really aware of the magnitude of these elections until the day before when some kind locals explained to me the situation and potential consequences.
The elections took place on a Sunday and in order to enhance security and safety the authorities imposed a ‘ley seca’, which literally translates to ‘dry law’ where the sale and consumption of alcohol was completely forbidden. It was when I found this out that I realised how serious it was and that there was the possibility of real carnage depending on the results. On the Sunday of the elections Merida literally turned into a ghost town. The only sign of movement was voters heading to the stations in their national colours and the occasional dog being taken out for a walk. It was a day of relaxing in the posada for us as we were under strict orders to stay indoors from 2pm onwards. The night came quickly and I went to bed early, too tired to stay up and see the results. I was awoken by what sounded like World War 3 outside at around 1-2am. It turns out that it was all the elated Venezuelans setting off fireworks because for the first time in 16 years the opposition had won!
I wasn’t entirely sure what the results meant at the time but after some light research and speaking to locals it became clear how significant these results actually are for the country and its future. For the last 16 years the country has been under a strict socialist government which has practically imprisoned its residents and made basic necessities, such as toilet paper, shampoo, soap, flour and eggs amongst many other things, scarce and a real challenge to buy. The country’s economy is based on the dollar and because of its insane inflation life has become horribly expensive for anybody living here and earning the local currency. The black market exchange rate is 150 times stronger than the currency’s official rate which makes it the world’s highest inflation. The results don’t yet mean that the current leader will be ousted from his position of power, but they do mean that a referendum could take place in the next year which will decide his fate. It certainly doesn’t mean that things will change overnight but it is a massive step in the right direction for this country and that is something that nobody would have even dreamt of in the last few years. I’m absolutely delighted for everyone here and it’s a change that the country deserves. Venezuelans are the most upbeat and friendly people I’ve ever come across and that is with a situation of complete turmoil. I can’t even imagine how they would be with a fair government and stable economy!
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