As February approaches the CIPLC community begins to feel excited about all the events to occur. From VANAS to Ed-ventures, and Valentine’s day, we are all hyped for the days of fun to begin, however, the reality of the place we call “home” (Venezuela) is a mere illusion of the crude reality we have to face.
Traveling both within Venezuela and internationally, the search for tickets has become a bigger adventure than actually visiting foreign lands. The truth is the airlines are beginning to lose interest in investing in passengers in our “oil producing” country since inflation has dug deeply within our state’s economy. Tickets in the last few years have increased at more than 200%, and the exclusivity or the luxury to even find these makes them even more expensive. This might not seem as such a major concern for many, but it certainly is the start of some difficult times in terms of “getting around.” Every two years the Ed-Ventures team in the higher grades usually travels internationally. This year it was supposed to happen, but guess what? It won’t happen for the first time in several years. As February 3rd approaches we can only think within borders for our trip and that is why we chose Margarita, which is a great location but tickets for 20 people isn't that easy.
All the issues going on evolve or spin around the price of any product, but it all comes down to the value of the oil barrel. The price of such item went from 90 dollars to 40 in less than a year! If we lived in a country with multiple exportation industries and business we might be able to survive such impact, but since our main economy comes from the oil industry it just means that now we are basically earning around 50% less per barrel! To break everything up more for you just think, the government before had trouble finding products for the population, now that they make even less imagine the times which are to come.
At the end of the day all these issues don't change who we are, I believe that the travel limitations are simple obstacles which we as a community will overcome, and if at some point everything gets worse we will find a way to surpass it, because after all we like no other people in the world can make good from the bad.
By: Leonardo Mata
Traveling both within Venezuela and internationally, the search for tickets has become a bigger adventure than actually visiting foreign lands. The truth is the airlines are beginning to lose interest in investing in passengers in our “oil producing” country since inflation has dug deeply within our state’s economy. Tickets in the last few years have increased at more than 200%, and the exclusivity or the luxury to even find these makes them even more expensive. This might not seem as such a major concern for many, but it certainly is the start of some difficult times in terms of “getting around.” Every two years the Ed-Ventures team in the higher grades usually travels internationally. This year it was supposed to happen, but guess what? It won’t happen for the first time in several years. As February 3rd approaches we can only think within borders for our trip and that is why we chose Margarita, which is a great location but tickets for 20 people isn't that easy.
All the issues going on evolve or spin around the price of any product, but it all comes down to the value of the oil barrel. The price of such item went from 90 dollars to 40 in less than a year! If we lived in a country with multiple exportation industries and business we might be able to survive such impact, but since our main economy comes from the oil industry it just means that now we are basically earning around 50% less per barrel! To break everything up more for you just think, the government before had trouble finding products for the population, now that they make even less imagine the times which are to come.
At the end of the day all these issues don't change who we are, I believe that the travel limitations are simple obstacles which we as a community will overcome, and if at some point everything gets worse we will find a way to surpass it, because after all we like no other people in the world can make good from the bad.
By: Leonardo Mata