Valencia Students Collect Supplies to Help Families in Politically-Troubled Venezuela

Valencia+Students+Collect+Supplies+to+Help+Families+in+Politically-Troubled+Venezuela

Catherine Perez, Contributing Writer

Imagine waking up every morning not knowing if you will return home at the end of the day, or if you can find medication to treat your diabetes, or diapers to care for your newborn. Venezuelans don´t have to imagine this. They are living it.

Since former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took office in 1998, the economic and social situation of the Latin American country has crumbled. Through the years, socialism took place of a democratic system. Even after Chavez´s death, the current president Nicolás Maduro keeps the same line, if not worse.

Right now Caracas, Venezuela´s capital, is the murder capital of the world. The lack of basic supplies like milk, flour, eggs, and more importantly medical supplies like aspirin, insulin, latex gloves, gauze, or bandages is making Venezuelans go out on the streets and protest against the current government and its convenient blindness when it comes to the serious situation.

For over a month thousands of Venezuelans have been marching, blocking the main highways and raising their voices asking for safety, medical supplies and their democracy back, but what starts as passive protest turns into violence due to the abuse of power that police forces and army apply on the demonstrators.

Law enforcers have used tear gas bombs to disperse the crowds, not letting the people to express themselves peacefully. However, the situation gets worse. A week ago helicopters were seen throwing tear gas bombs from above. The army was also seen shooting the same bombs inside of buildings and hospitals.

There are at least 29 dead and thousands in jail. Venezuela´s government keeps saying everything is fine, but the images in social media and international media like CNN, CBS and Fox News show a completely different story.

Right now there is a group of medical students in Caracas that assist people injured during the protests; however, there is not much to help if they do not come with the proper supplies. This is why, at Valencia College (West and Osceola campuses) Student Development is accepting donations, which will go directly to this group of medical students to help those who have been injured by tear gas bombs, bullets, and chemical burns. Last week a truck driven by the Venezuelan army ran over several students; therefore, the amount of wounded keeps rising.

Not long ago, Venezuela was one of the richest countries in Latin American. It offers one of the biggest oil reserves in the world, but due to political, economic and social unease its future looks bleak.

If you would like to collaborate with Valencia students to help their people back home, please visit the Student Development office. Some of the supplies needed are:

-Lidocaine Cream

-Excedrin

-Eye Drops Iodine

-Lansoprazole

-Adult and Baby Diapers

-Vitamins

-Gauze

-Latex Gloves

-Face Masks