The Venezuelan Exclusion Zone - Survivor's Scraps
“Yes, you're right. It's part of growing up, I suppose. You always have to leave something behind you.”
― Neil Gaiman, Season of Mists
Why Are We Still Here? - Introductions:
Today has been a day filled with certain feelings and a lot of conflicted thoughts, as I came to the realisation of truly just what my country is behind the guise of freedom that the country tries to preserve every day more and more despite all the deaths and suffering that the people have suffered.
Today has been the day that I truly became lucid, not that I wasn't before, but today was the day I finally put my finger on it.
We're an exclusion zone, one without regulations or borders, one that people can escape and irradiate other countries with our filth. This is a reality that I have come to terms with today and became more resolute for it.
This is my first article speaking out about Venezuela, I had other articles planned about Venezuela, but this one was difficult not to make as I sat in the car, watching to see my sister's plane fly away and leave the filth behind for a better life with my nephew, I immediately got to work, writing this very article you're going to read the second article I will release today aside from my Creator's Blog.
And here it is:
The Venezuelan Exclusion Zone:
Today’s experience while helping my sister with her own bags and the equipment was one of hostility [Hostility Is Not A Foreign Concept In Maiquetia] and secrecy; from the first national guard I saw, they were either entirely uninterested on people or completely on edge.
One of the many things that made me feel like I was in an exclusion zone from the inside looking out were the many times I saw reflected the little guidelines for going out presented and set in place by the many countries one could travel to.
More importantly were the many health inspections and the many papers showing that you were indeed healthy by the standards of medicine, including the documentation showing that our own dog was indeed safe for travel, from the occasional guard looking our way to the more explicit questions to my sister and beyond.
Something that really made me feel like I was some kind of survivor within an exclusion zone, where there was nothing I could do but show that I was completely healthy. Otherwise, I’d be left behind.
Obviously, I am aware that these regulations are nothing new, but, from the point of view of Venezuela, one of the sickliest and poorer countries in the world, I’m surprised there are so many specific details to take note.
But not only that, the sheer hostility of National Guard and Military Police is certainly very egregious, they don’t want you going out if they’re not getting something out of it. And indeed, they won’t let you out if they find a reason to fuck you over, my sister was stopped by one of these guards. But thankfully, he didn’t find anything to stop her from, so she was let loose before boarding her flight.
These are the many a things that make you feel; like you’re in the Exclusion Zone, similarly to other countries like Cuba, you’re only allowed in with very scheduled and posed tours of the pretty sides. This is where I draw the connection with an exclusion zone like Chernobyl’s, something very eerie, it almost feels like those from outside are looking through a small peephole instead of seeing the fullest picture, of course, without real blatant acting like that of North Korea, where everything is a perfect schematic of lies and propaganda.
Still, despite all this, the very little foreigners that still travel here; like a French man I met today, they still get to appreciate the magnitude of poverty that hits the Venezuelan people with the beggars in the form of children that get all over you inside the airport to ask if you can give them something or buy them food.
Something that is very common is the fact that they’ll also tail you, and mug you, usually with a knife in hand.
The one true thing I can find solace in despite looking at all the guards with their AK-103’s, the Navy officers in full Kevlar gear and beyond, is that; the next time I’m in Maiquetia:
It’ll be to leave myself, not to see someone else off. I won’t have to live behind the exclusion zone lines anymore, I won’t have to survive, but I will get to live my life.
But yet still, I will leave; as a STALKER. The memories and experiences will forever be carried with me.
Closing words:
One more thing I wanted to touch upon, was the events that Caracas has seen in the past few years, being in Caracas, or at least, leaving it has brought the memories back of our fallen.
Over a 100 Dead were left behind during this whole “fight” for liberty, despite all it almost seems as if they were forgotten to many of us, only select martyrs remain in the memories of many, but, who chooses who will become a martyr and forget the rest?
It leaves a sour taste in my mouth writing this, because bright, brave minds filled with hopes, love and dreams died. And for what? To appease the itch of a trigger finger and the need for martyrs that never led to a proper fight in their memory? To resolve the mess that the generation before us left us to fix?
In the end, nothing mattered, I just hope it was worth it for them. Rest forever easy, brothers, I will never forget you.
But I won’t stay to fight and die for a war that doesn’t want to be fought. I won’t let you take my future, hopes and dreams as well.
For this reason, I wanted to write this short little piece, mostly because I hadn’t released anything just yet, and I wanted to release something that had some kind of message to it. In this case, I wanted to recount my experiences today seeing my sister and my nephew off, I gathered the information I needed today and I made sure to know what my own steps were to follow.
For starters, I have set a planned date estimate; March 29th-April 4th. Beyond that, I know the things I have to do so that the national guard doesn’t stop me, and obviously, I know how I can take my computer with me.
The current estimate price pool that I’d need to gather from this point forward will be around $400 more. Beyond that, I’m leaving lads.
And I’m leaving the Exclusion Zone behind.
Author's Notes:
As I said before, the past few hours have been great, bad and resolute, I have come to terms with my departure and I did so by hugging my sister and my nephew before they both departed and telling them 'Just one month'.
I plan to keep that promise, for myself and for them, because obviously, this was my plan all along and she knew it, but still, I planned on keeping it.
I hope you have enjoyed this piece, and, I will make it monetised, mostly because I must indeed take advantage of the race and the game of catch up I must play in between the days I have left from all the time lost I had since January.
Remember, the newest GGDB article will be out in less than a week, this has also been one article with a more serious tone to it, despite this, nonetheless, I hope you found it good enough!
- ThanMuffin - Act Man - Rachel Carr - Brendan Lowry - Ardent Prayer - Paprika - ULTRAMANZX - Some Perv - Thesk 'Darram - Robert As always, stay safe, be on the lookout, and keep hunting boys and girls.
- HaruspexOfHell
