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RE: 100.000 STEEM for VENEZUELA

in #venezuela6 years ago

Saludos, @edgarare1
Un gesto muy hermoso de tu parte. Lo aplaudo y lo apoyo. Como ya te has percatado, son muchos los Venezolanos que hacemos vida en Steemit, contra todos los obstáculos (internet, electricidad, robos de telefonos y computadoras, etc.). Creo que todas las regiones de nuestro país estan representadas acá.

ººVENEZUELAºº
My name is Henrry Lezama. I am from a small town on the east coast of the State of Sucre (North-east of the country). I am 46 years old. I have 5 children. My elder son is living now in Lima, Perú (I was unable to get him through college). My elder daughter is finishing High School in June (we are planning to send her to Chile with some aunts, there are no universities left here for her to study and even if there were, we’d not be able to afford it). I have been planning to leave the country too, but due to many complications we have not been able to do it. Until last semester, I was a college professor at the Universidad de Oriente (UDO), but was forced to just give up my work given the increasing difficulties to continue teaching.
In this post, I provided a retrospective account of our particular situation.

https://steemit.com/ulog/@hlezama/ulog-025-or-academic-genocide

Education, in all areas, is probably (after the health system tragedy) the most dramatic aspect of the crisis we are living.
The damaged that has inflicted on the generation of students who have attended schools in the last 15 years is, to a certain extent, irreparable. They lost their formative years in a system that was more concerned with ideological indoctrination than with a truly formative and liberating education. The public, independent universities were the only standing body to resist that. That’s why they had to be demolished. And demolished they were.

There are so many layers in this crisis and they are so intermingled that it's hard to find a starting point. One thing affects the other and everything ends up failing. I saw my work hindered by things such as funding (our universities stopped receiving the adequate funding to invest in equipment and infrastructure), but then things went to extremes of not having the most basic things available for students and faculty to do their work. No cafeteria, no library, no computers, no internet, no auditorium, no transportation, no bathrooms!; then crime started to escalate. Assaults, robberies, rapes, even assassinations became “normal” in campus life (no authority would do anything about it, again, the ruining was intentional). We started to give up everything and still continued trying to do our work. But at some point when you don’t have a classroom, when your students can’t afford to copy a handout, when they can’t come to class because they are hungry or can’t walk miles to get to class, and then you simply realize there are no students registered because most of them have left the country, then you know you’re done as a nation.

As of today, for instance, university professors across the country have not received their payment of this month (first fortnight), a payment that, by the way, amounts to some $5. On average, a university professor makes about $10 a month.
Before the revolution started to intentionally ruin the university system and the whole economy, we competed among Latin-American countries for not only the best salary but also the best education.
As it has been evidenced by the first wave of migration that started under Chavez's tenure, we were able to train the best professionals in the region.
At the moment, most public universities are stagnated, technically closed and the few that remain operative (UCV, LUZ, ULA) are doing it under enormous political pressure and under precarious circumstances.

I have been on Steemit for 15 months now and I started here just looking for extra money because we were literally starving. It has not worked out quite well in that aspect. The combination of a bear market for cryptos and our outrageous inflation rate makes it impossible to get any significant economic aid. However, during all these months, I have found amazing people who not only show solidarity for our cause, but also encourage any talent we may have and have pushed us to developed unknown talents.
From this window to the world, I have tried to provide the insider’s view so needed in times of censorship and fake news. There is a lot of misinformation about our crisis and there are a lot of conflicting interests among groups that might be helping otherwise, but who are so concerned to remain faithful to their ideological agenda, they forget about the justice agenda.

We can only hope that our debacle will serve as an example for other countries who might be flirting with promises similar to the ones we got, from people with discourses, links, and agendas similar to the ones held by the chavismo, to stay away from them and avoid a fate similar to ours. To that effect, to leave living proofs of the immensity of our tragedy, and to continue feeling alive, I write on Steemit.

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So very sorry for the situation you and others in your country are in. I really hope things turn around soon, though I am afraid there will be much turmoil no matter what happens. It seems that world is full of "politicians" who want nothing but there own way, instead of wanting what is best for the majority.

Proud member of #powerhousecreatives

Thanks. Can't agree more. The irony of our times. So much "progress", so much legislation to protect the weak", so many backward ideas alledgedly overcome, so much communication (which allegedly would render manipulation of hiding of truths impossible), and here we are, no better than any other point n history when it comes to the relationship between the goverment and the governed.

Hello @toddrjohnson thanks for coming...

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

@hlezama I applaud your courage to enlighten the world to the real situation and not what is fed to us through the news media. May God bless you and your family today and every day.

Above all, please be safe.

Hello @dswigle thanks for coming

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

The pleasure is mine.

@hlezama, I don't even know what to say! I've been following the "situation" in Venezuela for a long time now, and just can't believe that it's all happening. I'm so sorry that you and your family and so many others are living this nightmare. I'm still hoping that things improve for the entire country. Thank you for your courage and honesty here. Big hugs to you and yours!

Thank you very much. Even here, some people do not know what to say (and actually remain speechless) and do not believe we've fallen so low. "I never thought we could hit bottom", they say, only to find themselves later saying, "when I thought things could not get any worse... this crap happened..."

Often people choose silence when they're uncomfortable I guess; I'd rather try and occasionally put my foot in my mouth :) I was thinking that "it can't get worse", but unfortunately, history and man's inhumanity has proven otherwise time and time again. My heart is with you and yours and everyone affected.

Thanks. Good thing history has also given us examples of miraculous recoveries. I stick to those cases when desperation knocks.

I will do the same :)

Hello @lynncoyle1 thanks a lot for coming..

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

You're most welcome @edgarare1 :)

I admit it's hard to hear what is happening in Venezuela. My sister-in-law is from Venezuela. She's actually in the process of moving her mother here. I guess she was lucky she moved to the US about 8 yrs ago to go to school. Hopefully someone will figure out the answer to start putting the pieces back together.

Upvotes, commented and resteemed.

Best of luck @hlezama we are rooting for you.

Gaz

Wishing you luck and may your people endure to see a new age and you are allowed to rebuild.

Thank you very much. A new age will come, we're sure of that. Hopefully, we'll be around to see it.

Hello @manoldonchev thanks a lot for showing your support ....

It's for all of you, of course. Words is what we can give you and I hope sometimes some words prove powerful enough.

Good luck through these difficult times.

Hello @c0ff33a

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

I am so sorry to hear of your situation, it is hard to believe that any ruling party could put their country to ruin. It must be tremendously difficult to have your livelihood eroded away from you. Thank goodness you have the courage to make the effort to change your circumstances and those of your family!
Do take care and I hope you have a change of circumstances soon!

Nice to hear from you @porters ...

Thanks a lot for your comment and support all Venezuelan people ...

!tip

Hello @xcountrytravelers thanks for coming..

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

I am truly lost for words
I have a Venezuelan friend who has lived here for close to 30 years, who every now and then would be upset, depressed, angry for what's happening back home and to her family there.
It is really sad.
I really hope for the best that you find your way out of this mess

Thank you. It does upset that much, even when people have been away so long. I know people who would rather not read or watch news/reports to avoid getting depressed. I have tried to interspersed my blog with things other than the political and economical crisis, but I find myself scratching the would, even when I talk about (seemlingly) unrelated matters.
I appreciate your support

It is consuming and affecting everyone there for sure
Her mother is still there and refuses to leave even though she had been trying to convince her mother
Stay safe and well (the best you can) @hlezama

@hlezama & @edgarare1,

Edgar, a wonderfully generous initiative.

On Steemit, Henrry, @hlezama, is one of the most passionate, and articulate, writers respecting the Venezuelan situation. Henrry and I met a year ago in the comments section of another poet, @d-pend. His comments were always so insightful and well composed that I began to take notice. Eventually, I demanded that he start visiting my blog so as to provide enlightenment on my posts as well. Amazingly, English is Henrry's second language ... a fact indiscernible from his comments no matter the complexity of the subject matter.

Besides being intelligent and articulate, Henrry is also an honorable man. He is both a credit to his country and to our blockchain ... and, I am proud to call him "friend."

Quill

@jaynie.

Much obliged, guys.

Hello @quillfire nice to hear from you...

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama... That´s awesome...!!

Thank you so much for let me know a little more about @hlezama ... for now we are in connection and that´s incredible for me to meet incredible people on Steemit...

Also I reviewed @d-pend profile´ but it seems to be he is not active a month ago...

Thanks a lot

@edgarare1,

... for now we are in connection and that´s incredible for me to meet incredible people on Steemit...

I'm glad to hear it. I love seeing initiatives that expand the Hispanic community here on Steemit.

Respecting @d-pend ... another great mind. But, he's a poet. And we poets are ... complicated. :-)

Quill

That´s awesome my friend @quillfire ..

Don´t worry about that, many artist need their own space ....

Hello Henry, Happy day, really what the situation is, especially in the educational field that should be one of the most valued, since it is one of the factors that most influences the progress and progress of people and societies. In addition to providing knowledge, education enriches the culture, spirit, values ​​and everything that characterizes us as human beings since it depends on the future and development of the country and that in other countries they give that value and are hired, as well to health professionals. These 2 fields are fundamental, but the security and integrity of citizens, so that there can be a better and higher quality of life possible.

Thanks. Happy day for you.
You are so right. And becasue education is so powerful and can do so much for people's integrity and freedom, it must be manipulated. At least other socialist regimes invested in it, modernized it and then put in at the service of their ideological agenda. These bastards opted for destroying it. After all, they made sure the children of their elite would get the best education possible abroad or in private institutions they made sure would remain intact (or at least not as affected as the public sector, where they confined "the people").

If Henry, here they tried to copy the Cuban ideology and in which its inhabitants also passed and suffered many deficiencies, but also have and enjoy certain advantages, such as education and security, most people are professionals, they walk the streets and they do it. Without fear, do not walk with anxiety like here, you can not even use the phone in the street because they take it from you and if you resist you can take your life, sad and sad, where there are so many security forces.

First, glad to meet you. Secondly, it's great to see you on Steemit. You are very courageous to broach this subject. I've been keeping an eye on Venezuela. You guys have it rough down there. Hopefully, your next chief will be more oriented toward building up your country rather than tearing it down.

Thank you. We are hoping that will be the case. There is little else to tear down in any case, but we have learned that things can always get worse, so, I say that "under erasure", as Derrida would put it.

thanks for coming @hlezama ...

That sounds really but, just keep your mind stronger and never give up for nothing ...

Now you are in a good place where you can get a better future, STEEMIT, so continues working well...

About the steems, let me explain a bit how they are going to be distributed. Every Venezuelan who comments will receive votes for each person in his comments, the more votes each person has, the more steems they have.

This will be distributed by steem-bounty at the end of seven days ending the post, let each person knows that the more votes they have in their comments, the more steems will be sent to their wallets. So, let´s do it..

my best thoughts and wishes in this time of strife for you and your loved ones, @hlezama ! my full upvote for you, and good luck !

Nice to hear from you @porters ...

Thanks a lot for your comment and support all Venezuelan people ...

Hello @veryspider

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

Thoughts and prayers. I went to Venezuela some 15 years ago. Una Paiz marvellosa! I want nothing more than ease, security, humanity and a release from suffering for your wonderful country. I don’t not pretend to know the depths... but wish to send out nothing but love and resilience to Venezuela!

Thank you very much. It is hard to know our reality in depth,even for us. Most likely, as your motto says, it is somewhere between what we think and what others perceive.
One thing is true, though, and thanks to technology now all those statements are out for posterity, there is a cruel reality that the chavistas governments (Chavez's and then Maduro's) have consistently denied to the point of calling those who denounced it disociados (dissociates).
They instituted the term and used it pejoratively every time they wanted to dismiss anyone's claim.
They suffered what I call the Lorax Complex. They speak for the people, the same way the Lorax speaks for the trees. At least the Lorax was actually trying to protect the trees. These guys destroyed the people and then told the survivors, "no, that what you think you see is fake; there are no people eating from garbage, there are no children dying in hospitals...no...no...no. It is the empire's 3rd generation war putting those ideas, even the images, in your head"

@hlezama,

Orwell's, "1984" ... except they seem to modelling that which Orwell was criticizing. The parallels are so striking at times that it actually defies comedic comparison.

Quill

Absolutely. They became experts in newspeak adoption and impossition. I regret not to have the time or energy to compile their entire dictionary (trying once some time ago actually drained my spirit). The level of absurdity and cynicism defies any stomach. Machiavelli's The Prince is another favorite of them. The funny thing is they would never allow an educational institution under their control to read and discuss such texts.

Hello @buttcoins thanks a lot for showing your support...

I love your comment ...!!!

Sorry for all the problems but it is good to get the word out we are here for you @hlezama @steemitbloggers #powerhousecreatives
Edited: also resteeming

Hello @rebeccabe

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

So sorry to hear what is happening over your country. I hope the situation can make a turn soon.

Hello @roselifecoach thanks for coming..

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

Good luck to you @hlezama on your great effort!

Hello @joelai thanks a lot for coming..

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

Is there anything we can do on an individual level to help the people of Venezuela? My heart hurts for all of you. It's a shame that so few people here in the US know the reality of the conditions you face.

Thanks for your support, @mattifer.
I don't know what to say. One of the most urgent needs we have is medicines and not even international organizations have been able to bring them. Sending packages is always a risk because customs officers are infamous for their skills to make things disappear.
I know some people who have relatives abroad have managed to get things sent to them but I don't know what specific companies provide safer services.
I appreciate your concern though. I wish we could just talk about more elevated things. I know most people refuse/reject playing the victim, which is what we look like when we have to reiterate this litany of maladies. Hopefully that'll change soon.

Yes, I've heard that shipping goods in or out is pretty difficult right now. My fiance is in the freight business actually. We were asked to provide a quote for goods going to Venezuela not too long ago. We couldn't find anyone willing to go there for a decent rate. It's even expensive to ship things in - and even then there is no promise they will make it through customs.

I'll continue to do what I can to raise awareness - that might be the best way I can help at this point.

Thanks, @mattifer. That surely helps.
Blessings

Hello @mattifer

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

I wish there was more I could do.

Hello @mattifer thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama ..

Well, let me say something special for you...!!!

Every reply you send with your incredible wishes are helping a lot him and many people who are reading your message, that´s the most important part, many people need to see a little support from somebody else.

This is called: MOTIVATION... !!

Well in that case, consider me your cheerleader! :-)

I'm sorry that you and your country are going through such terrible times. You have written a very good post about the situation to bring awareness. I'm following you now as well to keep up with your posts! Good luck, my new friend.

blueeyes8960.gif

Thank you very much.

Hello @blueeyes8960

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

All of the best to you and the people of Venezuela my friend!
You are certainly going through very trying times, but I know that after every storm, the sun shall shine again.
Blessings to you!

Hello @papilloncharity

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

so sorry for what's been going on in your country @hlezama, my thoughts and positive vibes are with you, your family, and people of Venezuela,

sending love to all of you there.

good luck, my friend, I hope you will have more votes!

Thank you so much. I am overwhelmed by the support I got here and the general support of Steemians to the venezuelan cause. There are several individual and community initiatives providing different kinds of support to my people. For that we'll be eternally grateful.

Hello @thekitchenfairy

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

Praying for you and your family! Such a tragedy to think a whole generation has lost out at such a critical time!

Thank you, @birdsinparadise. This has made me rethink Gertrude Stein's spithet. Those "lost" expatriates she talked about at least had valuable tools and support to develop their talents.

Hello @birdsinparadise

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

let's hope this is the first of many for you, good luck...

Hello @wales

Thanks a lot for showing your support to @hlezama

That´s awesome...!!

Dear @hlezama

Thank you for sharing your life experience with us. Those are indeed very sad days for Venezuela and I can only hope that noone close to you will suffer or die.

My heart is with you guys. I can hadly imagine how difficult it must be to have hope in current circumstances.

God bless Venezuela

Yours
Piotr

Thankyou very much, @crypto.piotr. I appreciate your concern for our cause and how you have made people rally around it.

I am so very sad about your situation and hope that Steem will get better and help you and everyone in your country.

Thank you very much.
We are all rooting for Steem, as much as we root for a change of government.

You are in our thoughts and prayers!

Hello @hlezama,

and did you receive anything of that Steem? I am just curios und would like to know of the outcome.
I hope the power shortages are over.
Do you still have the water problem as well?
Greetings to you,
Erika

Hi, Erika.
Actually, this did not end up very well. I was very excited at the prospects of getting quite a few Steems here, given the fact that my post got the most votes, comments, etc. But, it so happened that at the end the alleged 100 Steems were split among basically a lot of people who posted and got votes and comments.I ended up getting (I can't even remember the exact amount now) just a few. Probably less than 3 steem.

Thank you for answering. It's what I assumed what happened. The whole thing was a marketing gig to excite many people. This space can be in the same way wonderful as corrupt. :) Well, like outside, right.

I checked this account after I got a marketing memo through my wallet. I decided to check it out as I had time. But then I saw how petty all the article on this blog are written and payed for to geht high payouts. Well... I do not understand why people decide to stay under their talents, it's kind of irritating cause they will regret it one day...

I wish you a good day and thanks again for responding.

Thank You for the feedback. I was very disappointed, but was not in the mood for arguments.
I even contacted the guy about a week later and he came up with a lame response. What they did at the end (if they did, I did not have the time to track all the transfers) was not what the post had promised.
In any case, we continue being screwed in one way or another. We continue having blackouts here, inflation is in the millions, and the political nightmare seem stronger than Freddy Crooger

You learned something valuable, didn't you? There are many fools around here who believe their own stories.

Do you have access to technical devices to make yourself independent from power grid? Are there locals forming to help each other out in building stationary wind mills or other solutions for getting electricity?

And how much rain do you have so you might collect water and filter it?

Is this something you people think of?

Stay well.

Great questions. I'm afraid I have negative answers for all of them.
I have been thinking about posting about both the electricity crisis and the water crisis. With all the complications, I have not been able to.
We are more vulnerable than you can imagine.
We have very few options or alternatives.
Unless you have enough money to afford a power plant, if there is a blackout that's it for the average Joe.
As for the water problem, we need to learn home-made ways to filter water. other than boiling it and filtering with some peace of cloth, there is no much we do with water. Most people get sick because they do not even boil it.
In the are I live we get very little rain all year long.

Are people around who gather and find help in building little street-communities? Are people at hand who have some engineer knowledge? Can money be collected to buy something via Internet-Shops?

As long you have in times of electricity working access to the Internet, what are you waiting for? As it seems self-help is required.

I was searching for portable solar systems and emergency electricity generators and stuff like that. Here are some links, I do not know whether the findings are worth something but might give you some ideas:

https://ecotality.com/best-portable-solar-panels/

http://www.level.org.nz/energy/renewable-electricity-generation/back-up-power-generation/

https://www.amazon.com/Go-Power-Valterra-GP-PSK-120-Portable/dp/B009MIPH4K?language=en_US&tag=ecotality-20

this is what a purchaser wrote about the solar panel:

we got our 120 watt Go Power portable system and I honestly pulled it out of the box, unzipped the very well made carrying case and unfolded the panels. I clamped on the positive and negative jaws to my batteries terminals and off we were pulling in clean energy charging my battery. My batt was at 2/3s charge which isn't very good, close to spiking amps and blowing fuses but even though it was overcast within two hours the battery was at 100%. We are sold! and for folks like us that bought a trailer or want to buy a trailer to camp with and don't want to be plugged into rv parks then spend the money and go solar! Within the next week or two we will be boondocking (dry camping) on BLM (Bureau of land management) with GO POWERS 480 watts kit on the roof top along with the 120 watt portable GO POWER folding unit producing a total of 600 watts of usable energy! Unreal, all from the sun, why are we all not using this natural resource? Anyhow thanks Go power after this relaxing weekend of camping you have proven yourself and we are forever faithful and a life changing solar power family.

Also, there are plenty of solutions for filtering water in a good and healthy way. Use your access to the Internet while it's lasting.

I would like more to hear of you people to help each other out. If nobody starts an initiative I guess you could.