“Wuendy from Venezuela: young Children and the old remain,”
“the power struggle on who will be the president of Venezuela is in full swing. At the same time suffers the people in the crisis-ridden country.”
“– All of my friends here in Sweden are in the same situation, we need to help our families that are left, ” says stockholmian Wuendy Cardenas.”
“Wuendy Cardenas, 37 years, talking in Spanish with her son, Iker. He is turning four years old soon and has never been in Venezuela. But any time he wants to climb the mango tree that his mother has been talking about.”
“– We have not dared to go there with the kids. I have been waiting for it to be better, but it just gets worse and worse, ” says Wuendy Cardenas.”
“She is sitting on the couch with her daughter Luana in her lap and dries himself with a napkin in his eyes. Wuendy Cardenas always gets emotional when she talks about their home country, ” she says.”
“– 2016 was for the first time we hear about people dying, children dying. Diseases that did not exist when I was a kid has started to spread and people are digging in garbage cans for food.”
“From the rich country to the crisis”
“When Wuendy Cardenas left Venezuela for 15 years ago it was a rich country in south America. But the oil crisis of 2014 was a disaster for the country, whose exportinkomst to around 95 per cent came from oil. This, in combination with economic mismanagement and corruption have resulted in hyperinflation and deep economic crisis.”
“the Food is great and unemployment high. Diseases such as measles, malaria, and diphtheria have flared up again. Nine out of ten hospitals have no medication and sjukvårdsmateriel, according to the Swedish the assisting authority.”
“– I suffer to see how it has developed. It is difficult to explain how to live with inflation of a million percent. My mom stands in line for hours to buy milk or other goods, but she has as well as become accustomed to, ” says Cardenas.”
“See the family shatters”
“Since the start of 2014 has more than three million people have left Venezuela. Wuendy Cardenas has seen his own family torn apart and spread over the whole world.”
“She has a sister in Amsterdam and one in New York. The brother and his partner have, as many other relatives and friends, left their small children with grandparents in Venezuela and moved to Peru to be able to support the family.”
“– It is traumatizing for the children. They do not understand why their parents leave them. It is almost only the old and small children left in Venezuela now.”
“Wuendy Cardenas comes from the city of Mérida in western Venezuela and moved to France in 2003 to work as an au pair and study. The same year she met her future husband, from Sweden, and then ten years living together in Stockholm.”
“She helps regularly to his family in Venezuela with money and has started an association to help others in need. But it is easier said than done. President Nicolás Maduro claims that the crisis is due to sanctions from the united states and humanitarian aid stopped from entering the country.”
“But the hope for change has raised concerns in many venezuelans then the speaker of the house, Juan Guaidó, proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela, 23 January. The united states and several EU countries recognise him as president, while including Russia, Turkey and Mexico are on the Maduro side in the power struggle.”
“last Thursday gathered representatives from european and Latin american countries, to try to reach a solution in the political crisis. Negotiations set to continue.”
“the Tears flowing down Wuendy Cardenas cheeks.”
“– A small children die every day in Venezuela. People suffer jättehårt while we are sitting here debating, ” she says.”
“Nicolás Maduro took over after the death of president Hugo Chávez in 2013.”
“In the 2015 elections lost his socialistparti for the first time in 17 years, the majority in the national assembly, which is now led by the opposition leader Juan Guaidó. It did that the government and parliament controlled by the two different camps, who are political opponents.”
“round the the situation carried out the Attack in August 2017, a disputed election to a new constituent assembly, a grundlagsförsamling, with the power to rewrite the constitution.”
“Maduro then announced that presidential elections would be brought forward. He was declared the victor in the election, held in may 2018. The turnout was low because large parts of the opposition boycotted the elections.”
“Juan Guaidó declared himself acting president on 23 January.”
“Among others, the united states, several EUROPEAN countries, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia and Peru recognize the Guaidó as interim president. Turkey, Cuba, Bolivia and Mexico have expressed their support for Maduro.”
“Venezuela sits on the world’s largest oil reserves. 2014 collapsed the price of oil, which meant a disaster for the country whose export revenues to more than 95 per cent came from oil.”
“Source: Foreign policy institute”