It’s the year 2024…
Juan and Maria walk on a path which winds alongside the Guaire River in Caracas, Venezuela on a beautiful afternoon during Carnival. Their daughter is dressed like a princess and their son as Superman. While the couple sits on a bench, they watch their kids running around excitedly playing with water balloons. In the crystal clear waters of the river, fish are abundant and the visitors buy food to feed them. The dedication by the staff to keep this beautiful natural park in impeccable condition is evident.
The couple thinks back to just ten years ago, when this walk in the park was impossible for many reasons, among them:
- The water in the river was not only cloudy but also toxic
- Neither the culture, nor the infrastructure for tourism existed
- People wouldn’t walk out in public parks with their children for fear of being robbed or kidnapped
- The socio-economic situation in the country was a time bomb about to explode as
two opposing groups struggled passionately for power
As if heaven-sent, students from BOTH SIDES drove change to make Juan and Maria’s walk in the park with their children possible. The area between Las Mercedes and the river has been completely recuperated and restored to its pristine beauty. It is now home to restaurants renowned worldwide for the culinary expertise of their chefs. The parks lining the river are nothing short of spectacular. The area is now compared to La Recoleta in Buenos Aires and The Champs-Elysées in Paris.
It was the younger generation in Venezuela who raised the flag of UNITY. They determined that most important was not from which political party you came, rather finding a solution to their problem. They found the recipe to live in harmony giving spark to a new era of progress in Venezuela. It was the first step of many which has converted Venezuela into one of the hottest vacation spots in the world in just one decade.
Some of the changes they implemented to attain incredible prosperity over the past ten years were the following:
- Distribution of the profits from oil in three equal parts
1/3 for education
1/3 for tourism infrastructure
1/3 for every Venezuelan citizen - Lifting all price and currency exchange controls
- Restructuring of the police, national guard and military
- A campaign for unity where the central theme was: TOGETHER WE CAN ACHIEVE ALL WE BELIEVE POSSIBLE
The first year, when they lifted price and exchange controls, was particularly difficult. The challenge was great but the people in Venezuela were greater. With incredible
spirit and determination, together they were able to overcome the difficulties which had inhibited progress. Implementation of these strategies now allow Venezuela to boast one of the lowest homicide rates, a high degree of personal and jurisdictional security, along with one of the best standards of living worldwide.
Despite an initial shock to the system, thanks to the student movement in February of 2014, they succeeded in UNITING all sectors to find a solution. Together they built a progressive country where each citizen has the same rights to prosperity and well-being. Now Venezuelans worldwide are proud have been born in this paradise which is…
VENEZUELA
∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 33
