Staying Optimistic in Caracas

Caracas, Venezuela:

I live in Venezuela and so far, in one hand, it has been a tough experience since, even when we aren’t one of the most affected countries by the virus, we lack basic services such as water, internet, and gasoline, but, on the other hand, I have used my time to expand my knowledge of literature and politics, as well as focusing on my academic life. During the last three months the electricity and water services have been quite inconsistent, making it harder to be motivated, since everyday things like showers, flushing the toilet, and using a car become evermore luxurious.

However, I have stayed optimistic during isolation, and kept gaining deeper knowledge of myself and subjects that matter to me in life such as philosophy, politics and literature, having enough time to read all-time classics such as Moby Dick by Herman Melville and study for my SAT test and IB classes, which are extremely important for my university admissions outside the country.

Gasoline has become extremely expensive at 2.5$ a litre, which is ironic since Venezuela has the biggest oil reserves for a country, disabling our ability to travel far distances, which in a city made for cars as Caracas is of utmost importance. Coronavirus isn’t really an important problem here, but the government uses it to temporarily hide the gasoline crisis, alongside plenty of other crises the country suffers from.

As hard as it may be, I have put all efforts into studying and becoming everyday a better version of myself, meditating and praying everyday to God for strength during this dehumanizing times. I have acknowledged my privileges since I can afford to pay for several tools that have helped me through the situation, but this country has people starving and homeless, who are the most affected by it. That is why I am grateful for being able to at least have a worthy home, with a family that supports me during times as these.