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If you were to ask a Venezuelan to describe their culture, how might they respond? The 3-minute response? They would probably tell you about their beautiful beaches, their beauty queens, and perfect tropical weather that stays around 80 degrees in most parts of the country, year-round.
On the other hand, if you are able to sit down with them, they would paint you a picture with their words of the majestic waterfall Angel Falls (one of the seven wonders of the world) in the magical region of Canaima—the region home to the Pemón, the largest group of indigenous Venezuelans. They would amaze you by talking about other incredible forces of nature, such as an everlasting lightning storm called the Relámpago de Catatumbo. They would describe the crisp air one breathes in when standing near the snow-capped Pico Bolivar, the highest mountain in the Andean region of the country (reaching nearly 17,000 feet).
They might sing you a Gaita (“gy-ta”) if they are from the region of Zulia (“Zoo-lia”). If they come from the llanos (“yah-nos”), a.k.a. the plains, it’s possible they would play a Joropo (“ho-ro-po”) on their 4-stringed guitar-like instrument, the cuatro. Afro-Venezuelans from the Caribbean coastal region might know how to dance Tambor (“tahm-bohr”), a fast, syncopated rhythm of the country’s surviving African percussive traditions.
Being Venezuelan is as unique and multi-faceted as the country’s landscape and traditions. We come from a mix of European, African and Indigenous cultures. Waves of immigration after the Spanish Conquest and World War II brought many Spaniards, Italians, Germans, Portuguese, Arabs, Moroccans, Jews, and other nationalities from the bordering countries of South America.
Our staple food, the arepa (“ah-rah-pa”), is salty, but it’s not uncommon to pair it with something sweet like maduros (ripe plantains). We barely we eat spicy food. Our land is wonderful for agriculture and mining, and we have the largest reserves of petroleum in the world. Our art, initially dominated by religious motifs, later gained international acclaim in the 20th century when the movement of modernism and kinetic art took over the country. Our daily life and problems are reflected in our theatre and television. Religion and spirituality continue to be a significant influence in all aspects of our culture.
Venezuela, once an extremely prosperous country, has turned a page and is facing an economic, political, and humanitarian crisis. The causes are multiple and very complex, but the decline in the standard of living is obscenely obvious to Venezuelans and the international community. Corruption, the creation of a narco-state, and mismanagement of natural resources and the national economy are a few of the root causes of the current humanitarian crisis. Coupled with falling international oil prices and hyperinflation, Venezuela’s minimum wage hovers around $6 per month, hardly enough to cover a family’s expenses or meet an individual’s daily caloric needs. To escape unlivable conditions, between 2017-2019, a tenth (3 million) of Venezuela’s total population (known as the “Venezuelan Diaspora”) fled, even trekking across mountains, setting off Latin America’s biggest ever refugee crisis. Venezuelans are finding shelter with family or friends in other nations, primarily in Colombia and Peru. Venezuelans that do not have the means to leave, are forced to accept any type of work, search for food scraps in the trash, to avoid starvation. This humanitarian crisis acutely affects children and the elderly, and consequently many children and seniors have died.
The Venezuelan humanitarian crisis is now the worst in the Western Hemisphere. More than seven million Venezuelans have left their homeland since 2015 amid an ongoing economic and political crisis, according to new UN data, surpassing the scale of the Syrian refugee crisis. Venezuelans unable to emigrate survive in part because of the altruistic work performed by hospitals, clinics, local parishes, and community outreach programs that give the little they have to support their communities. Venezuela’s Voice in Oregon devotes most of its energy to gather and send in-kind donations (such as medical and hygiene supplies and nonperishable food) to some of the highest-need communities in Venezuela. We invite you to join us in this heartening, meaningful work of gathering and sending humanitarian aid to Venezuela as long as the country traverses this difficult period.
On the other hand, if you are able to sit down with them, they would paint you a picture with their words of the majestic waterfall Angel Falls (one of the seven wonders of the world) in the magical region of Canaima—the region home to the Pemón, the largest group of indigenous Venezuelans. They would amaze you by talking about other incredible forces of nature, such as an everlasting lightning storm called the Relámpago de Catatumbo. They would describe the crisp air one breathes in when standing near the snow-capped Pico Bolivar, the highest mountain in the Andean region of the country (reaching nearly 17,000 feet).
They might sing you a Gaita (“gy-ta”) if they are from the region of Zulia (“Zoo-lia”). If they come from the llanos (“yah-nos”), a.k.a. the plains, it’s possible they would play a Joropo (“ho-ro-po”) on their 4-stringed guitar-like instrument, the cuatro. Afro-Venezuelans from the Caribbean coastal region might know how to dance Tambor (“tahm-bohr”), a fast, syncopated rhythm of the country’s surviving African percussive traditions.
Being Venezuelan is as unique and multi-faceted as the country’s landscape and traditions. We come from a mix of European, African and Indigenous cultures. Waves of immigration after the Spanish Conquest and World War II brought many Spaniards, Italians, Germans, Portuguese, Arabs, Moroccans, Jews, and other nationalities from the bordering countries of South America.
Our staple food, the arepa (“ah-rah-pa”), is salty, but it’s not uncommon to pair it with something sweet like maduros (ripe plantains). We barely we eat spicy food. Our land is wonderful for agriculture and mining, and we have the largest reserves of petroleum in the world. Our art, initially dominated by religious motifs, later gained international acclaim in the 20th century when the movement of modernism and kinetic art took over the country. Our daily life and problems are reflected in our theatre and television. Religion and spirituality continue to be a significant influence in all aspects of our culture.
Venezuela, once an extremely prosperous country, has turned a page and is facing an economic, political, and humanitarian crisis. The causes are multiple and very complex, but the decline in the standard of living is obscenely obvious to Venezuelans and the international community. Corruption, the creation of a narco-state, and mismanagement of natural resources and the national economy are a few of the root causes of the current humanitarian crisis. Coupled with falling international oil prices and hyperinflation, Venezuela’s minimum wage hovers around $6 per month, hardly enough to cover a family’s expenses or meet an individual’s daily caloric needs. To escape unlivable conditions, between 2017-2019, a tenth (3 million) of Venezuela’s total population (known as the “Venezuelan Diaspora”) fled, even trekking across mountains, setting off Latin America’s biggest ever refugee crisis. Venezuelans are finding shelter with family or friends in other nations, primarily in Colombia and Peru. Venezuelans that do not have the means to leave, are forced to accept any type of work, search for food scraps in the trash, to avoid starvation. This humanitarian crisis acutely affects children and the elderly, and consequently many children and seniors have died.
The Venezuelan humanitarian crisis is now the worst in the Western Hemisphere. More than seven million Venezuelans have left their homeland since 2015 amid an ongoing economic and political crisis, according to new UN data, surpassing the scale of the Syrian refugee crisis. Venezuelans unable to emigrate survive in part because of the altruistic work performed by hospitals, clinics, local parishes, and community outreach programs that give the little they have to support their communities. Venezuela’s Voice in Oregon devotes most of its energy to gather and send in-kind donations (such as medical and hygiene supplies and nonperishable food) to some of the highest-need communities in Venezuela. We invite you to join us in this heartening, meaningful work of gathering and sending humanitarian aid to Venezuela as long as the country traverses this difficult period.
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