Frazzled, Frustrated, and Forlorn

Will the last person to leave the Country please turn off the light...

Venezuela used to be a favored destination for European immigrants, specially those from Spain, Italy and Portugal. Following the Spanish civil war and WWII, thousands chose to settle in this magical spot, and by doing so, prospered and contributed to the development of this backward Country. Times have changed, and drastically so. The first wave of returnees occurred in the early eighties, when the local currency took a nosedive following government corruption so widespread that even the gargantuan inflow of petrodollars could not mask. Later in the decade, in 1989, following another megadevaluation, riots sprung in Caracas and other major provincial cities that resulted in grand scale looting of commercial properties. This unprecedented cataclysm and the following government crackdown on the rioters scared the middle class out of its wits. Although not part of the conflict, it suffered the consequences of government mismanagement by bearing the brunt of the populace's ire. This event led to the second wave of European returnees, who saw a chance of leading a calmer life in a rapidly unifying Europe. Finally, the third wave of immigrants began leaving the country after the current leader was elected in late 1998. First it was a trickle, now the dam has broken and almost eveybody below the age of forty is making plans or trying to leave their birthplace one way or another. Many do so unprepared, settling illegally in developed nations. Many have no recourse besides moving to neighboring islands, like Aruba and Curacao, for a meager subsistence. The Cubans, at least had Miami for safe haven. Soon all the human capital of this generation will be lost. The Government will have to outsource all major projects to foreign companies from Brazil to Cuba.
So please, will the last Venezuelan to leave the Country, turn off the light...