Venezela

The other reality about Venezuela barely portrayed by the mainstream press is the incredible resiliency of the Venezuelan people. What I have been most struck by in my travels to Venezuela is not the lack of things Venezuelans possess, but their abundance of joy and human solidarity. Indeed, as I told the airline agent at the ticket desk who was grilling me about my travel to Venezuela, it is my sense that, “in the U.S., we have everything, but at the same time nothing; while in Venezuela, you have nothing, but at the same time everything.” The woman, who was Venezuelan herself, then stopped her questioning, paused, and said, “yes, Venezuelans have a certain spirituality about them, don’t they?” I answered in the affirmative, and she then took my hand and said, “I hope we meet again.” This is the Venezuela I know.