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in charge here in the U.S.
That is probably the scariest part, the freedom from a disorganized group of robbers is an organized group of even larger-scale thieves. But I'd compare the options, and pardon me if this is grim, either being shot for your wallet or having a chunk of your pay check embezzled. Neither sound great but one keeps you alive. It is that bad. Economically, they have the worst inflation in the HISTORY OF SOUTH AMERICA. Wrap your mind around that, just recently Argentina, a relatively prosperous country, had massive inflation and the region is basically a history written by instability. They blew the other countries out of the water. At the end of last year, the annual inflation climbed over 80,000%. I shit you not, when I first saw anything with their currency, we were talking hundreds, then later *millions* of Bolivares. They ultimately lopped off zeros, but the spiral continues, it can literally rocket 30% in a day.
Purchasing food, for the average family and the lower class that Chavismo championed in particular, is simply out of the question and the government rations are barely enough for a day--given for a month. Medical care is largely inaccessible and even sending it from outside the country is quite complicated. I am not talking some right-wing weirdo shit, I am talking people I know and whom colleagues have seen personally as well. These rulers have rejected humanitarian aid. Famine and inadequate response to it are the stick and carrot of this regime.
I know some people with money who are living well there but they are few and far between and still not safe. The bulk of the country is in a tough spot, even middle class people who have homes or land. You have a massive fleeing of the country, over 3 million people already about 8% of the population inside of two or three years, with the pace quickening. They've also taken measures to disrupt departures and many are too poor to travel, plus getting a passport has ranged from difficult to impossible. If not for those factors, probably twice as many people would have already left. The country will soon have its population decimated (10% is around the corner) and the people leaving are its skilled, educated, wealthy, attractive, young and otherwise halfway desirable people, along with opposition figures. It is a surprisingly bad situation that has already become unmanageable for many and will soon be for all.
What I meant earlier by "fatalist" was to basically just say "well the situation's fucked and not much good will come of it." Yes, that's true. But a lot of the timing and, in this case, urgency that happens now will hopefully shape things in the future.
Basically I will acknowledge that there are mostly shitty options but it's a shitty situation. I think your interpreted it correctly when you said stopping the bleeding is what needs to happen very soon here. And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
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