CaptAguilar
200322
6855
185
Dear Imgurians,
Maybe many of you haven't heard of Venezuela, but my country it's going trough a huge crisis these days. We are having shortage of food, personal hygiene items, medical supplies, etc. Because of the bad administration of the government, but the worst part is that they don't care about it.
This is an example of the consequences of the shortage of food i'm talking about :(
The police has been bought by the government and if you go to the streets and march peacefully against the government this is what happens to you, or worst...
However the people grew tired of it and are coming to the streets to figh against this totalitarian regime.
THIS IS NOT DEMOCRACY, NEITHER SOCIALISM, THIS IS A TOTALITARIAN REGIME
All I ask from you guys it's to raise awareness for my coutry, the media has been blocked, but the world must know that we are fighting back.
This might not be the best country in the world, but it is ours to defend!
1mshadowbanned
This has been going back and forth for about 20 years now ever since Chavez now Maduro have run the country.
Abysse
The power is always with the people. Best of luck to you. Revolution is not always a bad thing.
SirBrendan
"Maybe many of you haven't heard of Venezuela" I appreciate that you're not a powerhouse...but afford yourself a bit more credit than that
carpetbaggage
2014 - Venezuela is a perfect example of socialism!; 2017 - Venezuela is a perfect example of socialism.
mynameiselliott
I like how the post ended with "it is our country to defend"...Rather than turn tail and run, people are fighting to improve their nation.
MrOni
They fouvht all those cartels too....they're gone now.....because they decended the country......from oppression....
Bystandr
After you guys finally depose the leaders, you will have to work together to rebuild the infrastructure to feed yourselves. An irrigation
Bystandr
project supplying sustainable arable (not just burn and slash jungle farms) land and cooperatives to farm them would be a good start.
DontBeSheep
Wasn't this the plot for Mercenaries 2?
MrSmilingDeath
Only if someone got shot in the ass.
WateryTartan
You will get your new dictator for sure. Expect executions en masse.
rocketman89
Good luck and best wishes to all in Venezuela. The US, for decades, painted it in a light like Cuba but we know it's the people who suffer.
eazolan
"Painted"? I've never heard media saying Venezuela was like Cuba. You socialists always focus on the wrong things.
gondring
The US invested in Venezuela. My co-worker used to work there. Venezuelan socialism confiscated investment. Now, no investment.
slidewhistlesymphony
The world is watching, @OP. Maduro's day of reckoning is coming.
candiduscorvus
Trust me everyone knows about Venezuela. It's a communist country. I'm sorry about that. Overthrow the govt and use a mixed market economy.
SirusKing
Venezuala isnt communist and many capitalist economies have been as and more corrupt.
Nikolai5
Venezuela is not recognised as a communist country by other communist countries and parties around the world. 1/2
Nikolai5
Only Laos, Cuba, People's Republic of China and Vietnam are considered communist by majority of the world and communist authorities.
WinchesterTavern
To quote "V for Vendetta": "People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
CraftedLine
I've heard how corrupt your country is. Sue them and they'll kill your ass! Good luck and God Speed. May your people topple the tyrants!
plainoldfool
I hated when someone would bring up Venezuela when conversations involved Bernie Sanders and Democratic Socialism. "Look at what's (1)
plainoldfool
happening in Venezuela! This is what will happen to us under Sanders!". I've heard this from both the Left and the Right. What is (2)
plainoldfool
happening in Venezuela is not an example of Socialism. It's an example of Totalitarianism.
ALHY
I believe Bernie praised Venezuela even when it was under Chavez just a few years back
SirusKing
but but but but muh stalins
AeonQuasars
A country really down because of the oil prices. That's how it gets when instead of building and saving up for a bad time you waste it all
rocketturttle
especially after you nationalize (aka steal) the oil industry, stopping all foreign investment
Mackdi
Police bought by the gov't.....you do know who pays their salary right? lol Police would rather beat peeps to feed their own family.
Mackdi
They don't care about you. America works the same way, just muricans are too wussy to do anything about it.
JamesBeapukin
“The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money” — Margaret Thatcher
buffOrpington
Mismanage opm, never run out. Also, wealth siphons more opm
SirusKing
- A fascist peice of shit. This isn't an issue with socialism, any government can be corrupt as fuck.
ingelri
WhatIsThisImgurIHearAbout
While I will keep disagreeing this is the fault of socialism (opposed to their economy being based on one product (oil)) I will say:
WhatIsThisImgurIHearAbout
Damn that was funny.
MidiArbite
Ahahah.
BigCat73
My sister, Brother in law and nephew still live there but my mom and I live in the states. My mom helps her and countless others with 1/?
BigCat73
Food, supplies,medicine and whatever she literally can mail or take when she goes twice a year.My sister has food but because the dollar 2/?
BigCat73
Has so much influence. But my sister says all of her coworkers are becoming very skinny and ppl are just laying on clinic floors dying 3/?
BigCat73
And waiting for medical help. The worst is my cousin and aunt are chavistas and their ignorance to everything is astounding. It's like 4/?
BigCat73
Nothing is wrong even tho they themselves are starving and seeing the riots but when asked the country is "in a good state". 5/5
Biomeat
Sometimes its very hard to see when you are in it or apart of it. Like a desensitizing to it. Very sorry friend.
MadDrDrillBit
The American revolution is so far the best example of a revolution that lived up to its promise, rarely do thay ever.
lurkingcabbage
oh, you sweet summer child... so many broken promises.
MadDrDrillBit
try pursuing happiness in Cuba or Venezuela, just more recent examples. Freedom means you can make poor choices and fail as well.
MidiArbite
Because it was more of a secession from a power located all the way across the atlantic.
Nikolai5
Unless you were black. Then rather than Englishman owning you it was an American.
GiantRobotsRule
And even the American revolution failed in many regards. "Unalienable rights" etc etc, and people were left in slavery for generations after
TheSpeakerOfTheHouse
Irish War of Independence. The Protestant Reformation. Eureka Rebellion. Swedish War of Liberation.
rocketturttle
ridiculous bullshit. bullshit. civil disobedience is not a revolution. Sweden I'll give you
Freeflare
The Protestant Reformation? Are you for real?
BlacksMcNutt
Just noticing that everyone looks well fed except that little kid, many of the guys have big bellies, give the kid some food.
raider111111
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZuoFceml4w&feature=youtu.be
rocketturttle
it's likely the woman holding him is not his mother, tbh tho if the food shortage is new kids will hurt way worse than adults
raider111111
On average, the people of Venuzeula have lost 18 pounds. They are NOT well fed. In fact, stand in line all day for CHANCE for rations.
BlacksMcNutt
Maybe they should try a different form of governing. Maybe we should come down and spread a little Freedom. We'd bring chocolate and beer.
allotherusernamestaken89
Maduro and his chavista sycophants need to gtfo. Where do he and the supreme court get off when they have the audacity to strip Congress 1/
allotherusernamestaken89
Of its legislative powers? Or the electoral council to put up endless roadblocks against capriles' genuinely democratic call for a recall 2/
allotherusernamestaken89
Referendum? 3/
pdxenburg
How fair was the election that he won? The people wanted communism....no?
YouTookThreeChomps
He was basically ushered in as an extension of Chavez. And no, the people want democracy from what I can tell.
pdxenburg
They have democracy, & this is what they voted for. Or not, thats what I'm asking. This is more of the same, so why did everyone support it?
pdxenburg
Venezuela is a bit of an anomaly because its the only example I know of where the people choose communism democratically. They hailed Chavez
YouTookThreeChomps
It isn't really a democracy and hasn't been since the Chavez days. the people were misled especially by maduro. Dissenters jailed or killed
pdxenburg
In the same way that Americans are going to own whatever crazy shit our elected conman pulls
pdxenburg
Fair point, & that was kinda what I wanted to know. How much did people really have a choice? Sounds like they still own a little of it tho
ZKrock
--Decent humans: ...fuck, this is bad. --Neckbeards: LOL SOCIALISM *DOWNVOTE*
RobertNAdams
This is why the second amendment is still relevant today. These people have a terrible fight ahead of them and they're ill-equipped for it.
yargon
It is actually legal to own guns in Venezuela. I do not believe this actually make any positive difference here though.
GiantRobotsRule
The American 2nd Amendment was written when farmers & soldiers had the same firepower. Guns are useful for hunting/defense, but a bunch of
GiantRobotsRule
civilians with small arms aren't going to do well against a modern military controlled by a dictator with little respect for life/RoE
GiantRobotsRule
Also, an armed rebellion won't attract as much popular support as a peaceful protest. Easier to portray them as "terrorists/insurgents"
RobertNAdams
Granted, but they'd probably do a hell of a lot better than civilians with NO firearms.
GiantRobotsRule
No. Governments know there are different consequences between shooting unarmed protesters and shooting armed insurgents pointing guns @ cops
nananashisan
Some of these pics are from 2014, but I don't doubt there are problems everywhere in the world.
bayardthebloodhound
Lol according to some this isn't has bad as it looks. Not what I believe, just for what people are saying cause of what's happening else.
fantomarko
Still relevant as the same has been happening for the past 10 years. I hope this time we get a different outcome.
TheSpeakerOfTheHouse
Article from October 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/11/venezuela-on-the-brink-a-journey-through-a-country-in-crisis
HEXADECIMAL
Their currency is similar to Colombia and they need to accept that, a lot of this chaos is bc of fundamental free market economic violations
johnvaughan0
That's why it's not getting any attention.
HEXADECIMAL
Literally all they need to do is allow the currency to float freely and accept economic aid from CN until their economy stabilizes.
Fakenrite
I would say it's even worse now. There are massive piles of garbage EVERYWHERE lining entire blocks at a time. Complete decay of society :(
JustLetMeInAlreadyFFS
A week or so ago the president disolved congress and gave its legislative powers to the supreme court, stepping all over the constitution...
MidiArbite
The Court dissolved the Congress and when that backfired the President demanded they put them back, showing his complete control.
JustLetMeInAlreadyFFS
... because the congress was made up mostly of the opposition party. The supreme court is under his control, he can do whatever he pleases.
YouTookThreeChomps
So, why do people still call Venezuela a democracy? Legit question. Heard it referenced that way on NPR just this week.
yourkiddingrightnow
In 22 states in the USA, there are laws proposed to start locking up protesters. Republicans are trying to turn us into the third world
KillEmWithKindnesss
You (the royal you) elected your boi trump. Deal with it.
yourkiddingrightnow
Trump is not running state legislatures.
yoshi
*2nd world. 3rd world would be somalia, but that's kinda irrelevant to your argument
ficifpici
There is difference between protesting and rioting. If you are damaging property of others people like animal, than you should be locked up.
yourkiddingrightnow
Riots usually are not peaceful political protests. Even in Ferguson, they generally kept it peaceful. The threat of violent suppression....
halbjorn
These don't compare, In USA people are blocking traffic over misinformation. In V, people are starving and getting shot for complaining
Zachakx
It's a progression.
Xbertie
What misinformation would that be? police brutality? corruption? or that the president is a molester and a rapist (Among other things)?
HEXADECIMAL
If they'd let their currency float freely, tourism would come back! They keep manipulating their currency and artificially setting it high.
eddine
You really live in a rosy simple world don't you?
HEXADECIMAL
I live in a world where free market economics and laws of nature rule, live by them or die by them.
Ekelhaften
They? You make it sound like the people have a say in the matter. This is exactly the thing the op is trying to push awareness on
CarrotSharpener
He was probably referring to the government, you fuckwit.
NinjaCongo
Found the neo liberal.
flockofstampedeingducks
Just give them some Pepsi. Problems solved!
shutupjennifer
simplydifficult
#TEAM COKE ftw
SoftwareEngineerWithNotEnoughSalary
Was gonna comment this, but I'm glad u beat me to it
TeamRocketBlastOffAtTheSpeedOfLightSurrenderNowOrPrepareToFight
The reason that ad was pulled was stupid and its not like coke hasn't done similar ads.
yoshi
wut?
dietderpsy
YAY!
Rockylovesemily
There is a shortage, didn't you read.
flaccidhope
uniqueusernamesarehard
was looking for this comment. Pepsi ad is working just fine, I see
flockofstampedeingducks
I know right? sad irony when crap ads get more attention than they deserve. hmm kinda like shit posts around here.
catfacedmeowmers
Dont ask for U.S. help. We just replace your dictators with a US backed ones. Not that your current dictator already is.
eazolan
And the problem with that is?
CapsShield
See: Vietnam, Korea, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Panama, etc.
eazolan
Not sure what any of that has to do with Venezuela. Unless you're saying that *any* action taken by the US is wrong.
CapsShield
No, not at all. But there's better methods than installing a sympathetic dictator to the US. That hasn't really worked out yet, minus ww2.
catfacedmeowmers
Hegemony. The opposite of real American ideals.
eazolan
No it isn't. Freedom, rule of law, and land ownership are the real American ideals.
AngryArmour
Communism, huh? Sad to see that people haven't learnt from the USSR, Romania, Hungary and all the other "Dictatorships of the Proletariat"
Nikolai5
Venezuela is not recognised as a communist country by other communist countries and parties around the world. 1/2
Nikolai5
Only Laos, Cuba, People's Republic of China and Vietnam are considered communist by majority of the world and communist authorities.
AngryArmour
Glad to see fighting back, and hoping you people will be able grow food and eat again.
SirusKing
Fucking lol, this has nothing to do with socialism or communism, and even venezuala doesn't call itself communist.
CriErr
Yeah, it's good that we have democracy now, like the USA, where people vote for those who would sell them to corporations.
CriErr
My point is, everything is fucked up, because people fucked up.
AngryArmour
I'm not saying any other system is perfect and will solve all problems, rather I'm saying the opposite(?): That any system that PROMISES to
AngryArmour
solve all problems forever, will usually take that as justification to cause suffering than any other because "the end justifies the means".
ProgeriaProstitutes
As if non-communist countries never fail
carpetbaggage
As if ANY communist countries succeed
SirusKing
China? The USSR for a shit load of time? Vietnam?
carpetbaggage
If you call those successes then we have very different definitions of success. 73,237,000 deaths in China, 58,627,000 in Soviet Union
SirusKing
Typical estimates for those killed by the PRC and USSR are around 30-40 million utter max, its halarious how people spout such nonsense as
SirusKing
anything close to 100 million.
ProgeriaProstitutes
Everyone dies if you havent noticed
SirusKing
Oh man, people died? You mean, of cancers, strokes, heart attacks, ect.? Shocking.
AnyaJenkins
"The police have been bought by the government". But... The police are government
[deleted]
[deleted]
Itinerate
To prevent crime and disorder, as an alternative to their repression by military force and severity of legal punishment.
TheSpeakerOfTheHouse
Indeed, the army belongs to the people and the police are a tool of the bureaucracy, but they aren't a tool of the politicians.
TheSpeakerOfTheHouse
Once they're under the direct control of politicians, the politicians begin to resemble the mob. Legalized crime or legitimized corruption.
ArchAzazel
Thanks Sean Spicer!
ImgursLibertarian
Exactly. Why do people not understand that.
NohnPhixion
Pretty sure they mean the politicians are using them as their own personal force rather than public protectors.
aclaec
Business as usual then
raidleadergutts
So, exactly as intended? That's exactly what their purpose is & has been ever since police forces were created 200 years ago.
NohnPhixion
Just no, it's not that black and white and nothing has remained constant for 200 years without evolving despite retaining names.
raidleadergutts
Captain Obvious over here. But if you aren't living in Europe, that's pretty much what they are. Obviously there are lots of people living 1
raidleadergutts
in childish fantasy worlds where cops are heroes who exist to protect them from evil, but aside from that, this is the purpose of police. 2
milleniumfapton
Lol just recently Maduro said the kids were starving to death on purpose to create a humanitarian crisis and have US intervention. Go figure
TankingFever
Tell Finland to get involved. We already gave greece a huge loan. Why not Venezuela too?
BigCat73
Venezuela isn't in need of money, in fact it has so much oil/reserves it's top 3 in the world. But the government doesn't allocate it well
TankingFever
Yeah but we'll give them some more. More money is good, no?
ThatVenezuelanLostINimgur
We are already short on liquidity and reserves, due to corruption... Money would mean more corruption and those bastards in power forever
BigCat73
Maduro addressed the lack of diapers and just lack of supplies by telling kids to "be potty trained at 6 months" and to brush once a week
nattfilm
Oh, and to conserve electricity by women stopping using hair dryers. Yeah.
BigCat73
Yeah his solutions were appalling to say the least.
Mewmus
no other country can intervene ?
[deleted]
[deleted]
Mewmus
yeah, but, no other country (aside from the US) can intervene ?
vudak
Not even pepsi?
faithydiesalotx
A shipment of donated essential medicines was refused entry for BS reasons.
Ryebread91
Nope. Everyone wants the u.s. to help first. Every time.
ThatVenezuelanLostINimgur
Actually OAS, Mercosur and several countries have tried, but the regime denies we are in a crisis.
ThatVenezuelanLostINimgur
so if there is no crisis, no help is needed or received. Peers aid means fair elections and Maduro is avoiding it due to their unpopularity
Stev757
I have doubts that Trump's gonna do anything about this.
BlacksMcNutt
Its not our problem and the people seem to be forcing change on their own. We dont have to kill any of them yet.
Sevaceri
you know whats great about being a person, you can do something. don't rely on somebody else to do what you know is right.
elbdms
I have no doubts. We won't do shit.
BlacksMcNutt
Its their punishment for being commies in the first place
SirBaldrick
Do they have oil?
doyouevenrobot
A shit load. Massive corruption aside, part of their problem was relying only on oil exports and high prices to pay for everything.
doyouevenrobot
Oil prices took a dive, no cash coming in, and the whole nepotism thing had incompetent people run infrastructure into the ground.
Pyrodraco
Why should trump do it? Why not the leaders in china, Russia, UK, France, Germany etc. ?
Counterfit
Monroe Doctrine
MrTestCat
Why shouldn't he do it?
BlacksMcNutt
Looks like we need a longer wall.
YouTookThreeChomps
So many reasons including those trump has explicitly stated
GodTurkey
Something along the lines of getting involved in foreign countries and not our business
Alvatore
He'll probably launch a cruise missile at them.
TenchuTheWolf
Better than launching a Cruz Missile.
roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Pretty serious stuff turning a cruise ship into a projectile using the US strategic stockpile of trebuchets
Techtronic
Or 50
Shrais
give or take
HistoricalContext
59, to be precise.
eazolan
And if he did, rest assured, you'll be there to criticize him the entire time on his efforts.
Curmudgeoner
Poor Trump.
WookieWookieWookie
I really don't like him, but any rational person has to know that he'll get shit no matter what he does. The US always gets stuck in these
WookieWookieWookie
Situations. If we don't help we get shit on like it was our responsibility to fix it, and if we do try to help in good conscience we get
WookieWookieWookie
Blamed for any unforseen consequences or for not doing enough. I feel bad for every US pres, including him, that has to deal with this.
waterbucketsandsparetowels
Depends on his efforts.aybe he'll give them $77,000
MrTestCat
More money than I have
Insideanus
You truly miss the point. He cut $1.5 bil from an important department's budget, then gave them $77,000 as if it was a huge gift
eazolan
So, Venezuelans are dealing with misery and death. And you can't give Trump any slack.
waterbucketsandsparetowels
Its my job as a citizen to hold my government accountable, no this attitude didn't start with Trump.
elbdms
He doesn't get any slack. This isn't a churros cart. He is the president of the USA.