Protesting Against Blackouts Turned my Lights Off | Chronicle

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Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela. Saturday, April 6, 2019.

9:00 am

Let's march to Corpoelec! Meeting spot: Vegetables Park. YS. Civil Society.

Said an improvised marker-handwritten note which was taped to the wall at the entrance of the building where I live.

That's how it was. I attended the meeting place in the area where I live, few people were there so far as was expected since we came from a hard months of electric blackouts which collapsed the economic and social system of the entire country (more than it was, for more detailed information there is a lot on the web), however we already came from a "scheduled cut" of 12 hours, which lasted all night and part of the morning, meanwhile, I chatted with some of the attendees stuff related to current affairs.

Meanwhile, I was chatting with a middle-aged man, I think he was in his 50s:

—And how are you getting along with this (electricity)?. he asked.

—In the building where I live, it came back at 7:00 a.m.! And you?. I answered.

—At the moment! Nothing for us!. He replied.

We waited a while for more neighbors to join in, about 45 minutes passed and there were enough people to leave, came with whistles, rattles, flags and caps with the flag, we left in active harangue and calling attention so more could join the cause.

We arrived at the concentration spot in the Francisco Araujo square in the La Rotaria neighborhood, as a common place where several parishes of the west of Maracaibo would meet and march to Corpoelec (the national electric company) in order to protest for the constant failures that already have affected us for years, added to the mega blackouts that already have more than a month occurring throughout the country, things sadly in a"day to day" basis, I thought the call wouldn’t have so much receptivity but the number of people was considerable to be only in this area.

10.30 am

—It's the National Guard!. Said a lady not far where I was stood.

An anti-riot contingent of the National Guard arrived at the entrance of the street, approximately 40 motorized or more within what I could count, plus a tank, they deployed throughout the exit that connected the square to the main street, the spirits of those present began to activate, nervousness, excitement and uncertainty.

A helicopter of the state police flew over, something was coming or it was just to watch, so I thought naively, without more, it started, they threw tear gas bombs to disperse, it is worth to mention: never I saw anyone causing anything disturbing the peace, order, or any other act of provocation, we ran to avoid being hit with the clubs they had in hand, and the other "guards" carrying such weapons like shot pellets.

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—Don't run! We're not doing anything wrong!. Spoke a woman nearby, with the confusion that reigned I couldn't distinguish .

The smoke turned more intense, and despite the fact that we were running away I already felt pain in my eyes and the burning more and more intense, there was a moment when I stopped the trot near a corner of the place, a man who was close came with a bottle of water mixed with baking soda, he lended it to me and several affected people and the effect was immediate, I could recover my sight, the sting calmed down, some of us returned to stay there, others took refuge in nearby houses.

—Why are you doing this to the people, why? Take a stand, join us! Shouted a woman trying to reason with one of the soldiers.

—Ma'am, if you have any complaints, we can channel some of the Clap boxes to the communal councils. The guard replied.

—I don't want any Clap, COÑO! Replied frustrated after the "solution" they offered her.

They kept throwing bombs, to my left side a man who would be in the fifties with more impetus a young lad would have, he took with his hand one and threw it back to the guards, another to my right threw sand to one that fell on my feet, honestly, the elders were more emboldened than I could be, shame on me confessing this, my ability to solve was limited to running and helping a few.

A few meters from me I saw another “old” man who I supposed was already in his sixties, trying without success to mediate with the officials, they only answered saying: to go away while they hit with their shields and weapons, few people and I approached and took him out of there, in the same way with a young boy who tried to speak with them answered in the same way, they were already struggling with him to be imprisoned but a group of people and me set him free of them.

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I went back into the square along with more people, the small group who returned while others were grained around the site, I tried uselessly to mediate with one of the guards, who seemed to be the “one” who commanded passed by my side and shouted boastfully: All men will be imprisoned!, wanting an answer I asked him: Why? If we are here peacefully, another one who was with him in his green uniform, covered with an armor, shield and other artifacts, answered me categorically: Just go away!

After this I ran to the back of the square, a lady who was sitting on a stool and catching her breath from everything she had run, started screaming because the guards had thrown another bomb right next to her, me and other gent help her out, I don't remember if it was the same man who threw sand at the bomb, he said that it turned it off, so I did with another one they threw a the time, then I saw the hand of a soldier on my right shoulder, a old lady who was at the front told me to walk fast and the guard only said pretty fast he was walking the same speed: Walk away! Walk away! Then I went to one of the houses on the left side of the square, many of the neighbors opened their doors kindly.

Little by little we saw how they were retiring from the site, they just moved to a nearby corner of the main road that joins La Rotaria, Rosaleda, Modines, Santa Fe and other more areas because those who came from a more distant parish were intercepted, dispersed and repressed, I approached already when the guards were leaving, the demonstrators said that it was necessary to continue the passage to the headquarters of Corpoelec in Amparo neighborhood, I set out to discuss and converse with others the possibility of going, I rathered not to, taking into account that I was not fully prepared to face more pressure than I daily live and save lot of misfortune to my family, by the means, I knew that this event was not isolated and others who manifested in different parts of the city had the same or worse luck.

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11:15 am

I walked towards my home, already with the sun biting what was discovered of my skin previously toasted with the accumulated days taking and to bringing water to my house, since there is no fluid service for months, some few good people with good faith who give their time and space the thirsty ones supply our reserves, I already saw nearer where I reside, a thirst and heat were burning me out, a metallic and uncomfortable taste in the throat invaded me.

11:25 am

Finally I walked into the hall, pressed the button of the elevator, I’d already felt in a "safe" place, or I thought so at least as I got up into that old “cupboard”, almost there when I got to my floor t and ... the lights out so early? No way! I said incredulously as it was the first time it happened, I managed to open the internal doors and with the external ones it cost me more but I managed to let oxygen, I couldn't find the latch to release them, so with the poor signal I had on my phone I called my father, he arrived in 5 minutes and without any problem got me out of there.

11:35 am

I got into the apartment, drank water, washed my face, sat for a while in the living room, talked about what had happened to my father and my little brother, afterwards, we were silent, I put my hands on my face in pain and exhaustion, all the crying that had not been contained in a month I just let it out, all my "resistance" that believed I had just crumbled down.

—_I feel powerless, bound by hands, useless, I want to work well and I can't, I want to demonstrate my discomfort and I can't, I can't even have leisure time. Expressed spontaneously

—I JUST CAN'T!

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_{Previously posted in spanish last april, it's worth to mention, anything has changed that much.}