Letters from Venezuela What's Life Really Like in a Post-Collapse Society

An interesting read from Daisy Luther's website:

Letters from Venezuela: This Is What Life Is Really Like in a Post-Collapse Society - The Organic Prepper

If you ever wondered what life was really like in a post-collapse society, look no further than Venezuela. Today, I’d like to share a first-hand report of everyday life there.

The country has been on the way down since a socialist government destroyed the economy. Here’s a quick timeline:

• Private ownership of guns was banned in 2012. Then things began to go downhill in a hurry.
• In 2013, preppers were relabeled “hoarders” and the act of stocking up became illegal.
• In 2014, the government instituted a fingerprint registry for those who wished to buy food to ensure they didn’t take more than their “share.”
• In 2015, things began to devolve more quickly as electricity began to be rationed and farmers were forced to turn over their harvests to the government.
• 2016 brought the announcement that folks were on their own – there was simply not enough food. As well, despite the rationing, an electricity shortage was announced.
• 2016 also brought the news that the country was out of everything: food, medicine, and nearly all basic necessities. People were dying of starvation and malnourishment made other illnesses even worse. Hyperinflation brought exorbitant prices, like $150 for a dozen eggs.
• Now, civil war is near (if not already happening.) They’re calling it “protests” but violence between the people and the government is ongoing. This rage is stoked by wealthy Venezuelans who enjoy luxurious meals, fabulous parties, and lush accommodations while the rest of the country struggles to find a bag of rice they can afford. Let them eat cake?

It appears there is no end in sight to the tribulations of the Venezuelans.

So, what is day-to-day life like for the average Venezuelan?
A reader from Venezuela took the time to comment and tell us what life is really like there. You can find her story below. (I’ve edited for spacing to make them easier to read, but please keep in mind that English is a second language.)

Daisy Thank you so much for this content.

I’m a venezuelan mom of a 1 year old baby. And we are living a war here .

You can’t go outside to buy food or supplies or medication because each activity is a high risk and more with a baby. So I stay home as much as I can. There are a lot people outside trying to live normaly, trying to go to work and buy foods and continue there lives. But when you are working or whatever thing your doing you dont know is you will be able to come back home safe… people continues to work to get whatever miserable pay to buy some food. Everything is so expensive. Perhaps the beans and rice are affordable but still not cheap and is so hard to find food. options are limited because of the price… you can only buy one item or two of pasta,

Everything is so expensive. Perhaps the beans and rice are affordable but still not cheap and is so hard to find food. options are limited because of the price… you can only buy one item or two of pasta, rice, like I say the less expensive food , and you have to wait in long long lines at your own risk because there are a lot of fights in this store. imagine tones of people wanting to buy the same product. this have being worst since perhaps about 5 years now… because of scarcity. Malls and big stores are

Malls and big stores are basicly alone because there are places where “colectivos” use to attack, with bombs and there is a group of about 40 men in motorcicles that have been creating chaos in the whole city, every day the take the city they have plenty of arms and the just go through the city shooting building houses, stealing stores, people on the streets, batteries of cars, everything the want… this situation is far worst that we ever imagine. they kill people every day and they are pay mercenaries from the goverment because no one does nothing. the

the goverment people is also killing inocents. kids… teenagers, the youth. we are panicking. We bough a land 3 years ago. I got pregnant and we decided to wait. the land is a safe zone but is 5 hours from here. is a very small town 11. 000 people. I live ib a city with about 3 million people. at least for now the town are peaceful but there isnt electricity and the isnt an asfalt road so this doesnt sound lovely for thief that are now looking for biggest fish to cash. according to our neighbours the town is in calm nothing has happen. We need to go as soon as possible. I am scared because what you say is also true. But in the city there are no options at least not now. . what do you thnk we should do? I realize appreciate what you recommend.

I’m sorry for my bad english I’m trying to write this while playing with my baby.

Venezuelan houses are already bunkers. This has being like this ever since I can remember. Perhaps 20 years… Every regular house is made like bunkers. Pure concrete from the botton to the walls to everything. Every house has also 2 to 3 security doors really big and heavy ones and on top of that we have fences and electric fences on top Of BIG GATES.

And trust me is not enough to be safe.

The army has damaged gates and has entry to different houses looking for students, or rebelds… and also innocents people has died because they were sadly in the middle of this events. I don’t doubt that country land might have problems too. But so far cities are pure anarky and maddness.

There are several groups creating chaos… the army, the mercenaries, the thiefs, and the rebels that want to kill chavismo and politics and whatever on their way. A few days they put a bomb into a propane gas distribution cargo and it blew away and this have being affecting every single thing, they steal cargo transporting food or gas and even fuel… so there is no much to do now.

Communities in the city are not organize since they really need to find food and basic resources so each indivual is waiting in long lines to buy a bread or a medicine or whatever they need… and people doesnt want to organize they dont see this could go like this for years… I assume that we got used to live in some sort of chaos and violence.

But the true is most people is praying and just wishing this will pass soon. that this will pass as the moment a new presindent arrive.

And what if it doesnt? Let’s be clear that we have so many resources, and Canadá and USA are pulling all of the gold and all minerals now so no country really matters what we are suffering as long as they can get they way.

We really feel hopeless.


Dear Ale,

Thank you for sharing your story. Here’s my advice:

If you can safely get out of the city, the time to do it is now. When I said I was moving from the country into town, the move was not to a major city with millions of people, but a much smaller one. I went from living a mile from my neighbors to a suburban neighborhood where we chat over the fence and share fresh vegetables and barbecues.

In a small town like you describe, you will have neighbors, hopefully some unity, and be able to be more self-reliant without as much risk as the place where you live now. Being on your own with a small child in a situation like this is hard and dangerous. Try to make friends so that you have some support. If you have extended family, consider that relocating to them might be another option.

The journey will be difficult, but I sincerely hope that you will be able to get there with your baby and find some peace and safety. Please know that you and your child will be in many hearts and prayers after this.

Keep us posted if you can.

Love,

Daisy

About the Author
Daisy Luther
Please feel free to share any information from this site in part or in full, leaving all links intact, giving credit to the author and including a link to this website and the following bio. Daisy is a coffee-swigging, gun-toting, homeschooling blogger who writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, and the pursuit of liberty on her websites, The Organic Prepper and DaisyLuther.com She is the author of 4 books and the co-founder of Preppers University, where she teaches intensive preparedness courses in a live online classroom setting. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter,.

 

The catch 22 is , if your not looking for food, you've got food .

 

I saw this article a few weeks ago. Rich quaff champagne while middle class scavenges for food | Daily Mail Online

The pictures of the people digging through garbage to find food is so sad. And the pictures of the dog are horrible. I think this is the state the US will be in about 10 years.

 

betting those rich ones have armed guards n such... after the dust settles the elites will have even more power...

Stalin did similar stuff IIRC... weeds out the less then desirable... just maintain and feed your power base...

 

When I looked at the pictures of the rich living well and not a care in the world, I got angry. I kept thinking how long before the hungry people storm the country club. I think not just the government but the rich also need to be taken out.

 

Those rich probably ARE the politicians. Not all rich are bad, many of them are still providing jobs for those still working in Venezuela and their businesses will be needed to rebuild after the eventual collapse.

 

Reading through FerFAL and Daisy's articles over the last several months has definitely changed what my prep end goals are. I guess it's also the stages many of us go through. Many of us start thinking we need that remote self perpetuating nirvana then as we follow that path we realize we need more skills than we individually possess as well as the need for mutual protection. A few people can only keep watch during the scary times for so long before they need sleep or engage in functions necessary for life like food and water.

I also don't see an inner city as being viable due to the lack of resources and the "somebody will take care of me" mindset. IMO you want to join a community of just the right size with the right local culture that's a long ways from the large metropolitan areas. Too big a city and you are exposed to more crime and violence as well as politics creating even more problems, too small and you won't be able to put up a reasonable defense.

 

There has been failing economies for some time- Internationally:
First there were the "Brics" -Brazil, Russia, India, China – and the "Next 11" emerging economies. Now we have the Pigs, or should that be Piigs? The struggling European economics of Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain have quickly become know collectively as the Pigs.

In N/A - we have many failed City-states. Detroit, Flint, Chiraq and host of other Rustbelt communities kept on FedGov life support.

I agree that 'not being there' is a good first step.

We are looking for rural Eastern WA farmland right now. I'm beginning hope Trump can limp things along - at least long enough for us to get settled into someplace a large garden is possible....

 

Interesting vid that came out recently.
Maybe there is stuff available, but regular folks can't afford it.

 

Give it time.
Before much longer people will be doing stuff to each the likes of which we lack the vocabulary to describe.

 

Once you have trained people to be on the dole ,turning this around is near impossible.

 

Once the people who are on the dole find out that they aren't getting any more, as eventually happens, they get untrained pretty quick. Unfortunately that less comes with much loss of life to to starvation and bloodshed.

They started shooting protestors yesterday, so I guess the bloodshed part just started.

 

Pretty much says it all about Bernie. Note how in Venezuela the conditions under Socialist rule are exactly how he describes Capitalism. Bread lines... yay...