Trump takes aim at Cuba, holds Havana responsible for Venezuelan crisis

[GatoGordo]

34. Never been to Cuba. Been all over Latin America.

Wife is Venezuelan. Been there, and LA about 50+ times over the last 30 years on mission trips to build schools and clinics, and as part of various medical missions. (Operation Smile, etc)

99% of my information on Venezuela comes from first hand sources in Maracay, where the last of my family in Venezuela lives. Information isn't real time, because electricity isn't "real time" in Venezuela. Its on for about 6 hours per day outside of Caracas where the Chavista elite like to live. Internet is hit or miss. No land lines for phones... they haven't been serviced in 18 years or more. No spare parts, as nothing is manufactured in Venezuela. Everything is imported. Every time something breaks, the Chavistas blame sabotage. As if nearly 20 years of neglect in tropical heat/humidity has no effect on infrastructure.

There is no running water in the domicile where my relatives live. They get their filthy water from a truck that only shows up once per week. There is literally sediment in the water, which has to be boiled. The TUY 1 and TUY 2 lines are constantly blowing up from neglect, and there is no spare parts. (an ongoing theme). First the Chavistas blamed Capitalism for "bad construction". Then saboteurs. Then corruption. Then drought (during the wettest season on record). Then the sun being too close to Venezuela.

The local hospital is a wreck. It has no running water, and like the rest of the town, spotty electricity. No back up generators (no spare parts). No insulin, no antibiotics and no dialysis units. One operating room that doesn't do operations because there are no anesthetics or sutures. No autoclaves for sterility. Few doctors and nurses. They left.

Food is by CLAP for the well connected and faithful Chavistas only. If you don't have the Fatherland Card (Chavista Loyalty Card) you get nothing from the Chavistas. All of the food that is supposed to be price regulated at "agreed" prices are impossible to find. The rest of what is found is at real world prices. (based on the dollar, as almost all food is imported)

Schools are almost empty. No teachers, as they spend most of their time looking for food. No students because they have better things to do, like dig through garbage to find food. Besides, schools only teach Bolivarian History and Chavismo. Reading and writing and addition and subtraction? Please... who needs that?

Transportation is abysmal. No buses. People ride in open air trucks called "dog kennels". Gas is very cheap if you can get it. (You need to be a faithful Chavista to get gas now) No new cars. Old cars have no spare parts. No motor oil in a country with the most oil reserves in the world. Most airlines don't fly into Simon Bolivar airport anymore.

And the only people getting paid anything more than minimum wage is the military, which Maduro has blessed with running the PdVSA, which is being bankrupted. They are everywhere. You can't go 5 miles on any major road without being pulled over at checkpoints, where the citizen is usually shaken down. Venezuelans traveling by bus routinely have their suitcases stolen by these thugs. Clothes are precious because nobody can even afford shoes. Strangely enough, you can find red t-shirts with Chavez Eyes logos on them everywhere, for free.

Is there anything specific in the way of information that I can offer you?

FYI. I would be very careful about believing anything that the "LA Forum Spammer" has to offer on what is actually going on in LA. I doubt seriously they have stepped on foot in any Latin American country.