Fear, sadness and the urge to leave
Following Nicolas Maduro’s announcement that he’s been reelected president of Venezuela, many youth see their best option as emigration to other countries, with the illusion of a better future and opportunities to reach their goals. Psychologist Daniel Duran notes that Venezuelan society is going through a period of mourning and a loss of meaning in their lives. This generates feelings of guilt and anger, which translates into the “sensation that someone owes me something.”
HAVANA TIMES – Youthful faces hidden behind t-shirts or posters to shield them from the police could be seen protesting on the streets, together with thousands of others, after Venezuela’s National Electoral Council proclaimed Nicolas Maduro the winner of the July 28 presidential elections. The announcement was made without publishing the precinct tally sheets or offering any other evidence of Maduro’s victory.
Now, following two weeks of different and varied demonstrations of discontent, Venezuelan citizens have begun to resume their daily activities, although the streets haven’t cooled down. The opposition has called for marches all over the country and around the world on Saturday, August 17, to defend the election results that, -according to the voting tally sheets they’ve shared- give the victory to Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
To the youngest, the tension, insecurity and fear al permeate their routines. The Venezuelan news site TalCual interviewed several of these youth to learn their experiences and opinions firsthand. All of those interviewed are identified with fictitious names for reasons of safety.
“The panorama is very tense. We fear for our physical integrity. We’re all trying to bear up, but the levels of stress are very high,” expressed Alejandro, a youth from the city of Barquismeto. He also remarked that he’s seen cases of violence on the part of police, exerted against some of his friends. “You feel like a prisoner. You can no longer protest or denounce, because they’ll come for you,” he said.
On August 11, the NGO Penal Forum updated the number of arrests that