A personal take on the crisis in venezuela

Fabiana Avendaño was eight years old when she and her parents fled Venezuela. Avendaño recalls her family packing luggage to visit Panama for vacation. However, upon her family’s arrival to Panama, Avendaño learned that she would be moving there. As an eight-year-old, Avendaño admitted she was confused. She did not think the move would be permanent.

As Avendaño grew older, the transition to life in Panama became smoother. She recalled that Venezuela had never been in the news. She heard about the crisis in her home country through her family’s “traumatic” experiences, she said. She explained that her uncle was shot three times and seeked political asylum in the United States. Her family was issued threats of kidnapping and needed to travel with security guards in Venezuela. She said, little by little, hearing stories of other families leaving solidified the issue’s reality for her.

“In comparison to how the situation is right now, Venezuela was fine when I left,” Avendaño said.

Avendaño is my college roommate, but more importantly, she is truly my best friend. Upon our first meeting, she showed no signs of any of her past experiences. She came across as, for lack of a better description, a ball of sunshine. Her laugh can fill a room, and her adorable Latina accent draws attention from whoever is within earshot. She is inherently kind, loyal and genuine. She took care of me like a mother when I was sick or stressed, and laughs with me more than any other person I’ve ever known.

The most amazing thing about Avendaño is her work ethic. She takes nothing for granted, not even the grades she works so tirelessly for.

“I am thankful for everything that’s happened to me because I wouldn’t value things that are trivial for other people, like toilet paper and houses,” she said.

Avendaño is bilingual. She studied at an IB international school in Panama. Now that she’s at the George Washington University, she is studying to be an international lawyer. Her intention is to make a difference in this world and for future generations. The events that have happened in her life inspired Avendaño; they did not hinder her ability to follow her dreams. If anything, she took in the negative and it made her stronger.

Avendaño said the biggest thing is that the crisis has affected so many families. Avendaño’s transition was relatively smooth, but there were so many families that were separated because of the situation.

As I sit with her in a high rise building by the window, she stares out into the street longingly, lost in her own thoughts. It’s as if I can see the memories flooding her mind.

“When you leave your country because of necessity, not luxury, your standards of living always go down. That’s what happened to many people,” She explained.

“I lived a happy and comfortable life in Venezuela. But ever since we left, it’s never been like that. First of all, we left because of necessity,” Avendaño continued.

Her mother was kidnapped three times, and her father was robbed at gunpoint. She explained that it was getting to a point where you couldn’t really live a life in Venezuela. Her father, however, was still on a Venezuelan coin salary. Because of hyperinflation and her school tuition in Panama, her family was starting to run out of money quickly.

She recalled her father needed to travel a lot because his businesses were in South America more than Central. She barely saw her father for two to three years. He would stay in Panama for two weeks, then leave for a month. She said he was almost killed on a trip to Venezuela, and that was when he asked for a currency change to officially work in Panama.

“My life would have been 1000 times easier if none of that ever happened, but so many people had it worse than I did,” she said.

She said people would leave with no money, just to get out of the crisis. She recalled a story of a family who were well-known doctors. However, they were licensed in Venezuela. When they fled, they lost everything.

“It strengthened me and my family,” Avendaño stated as she gazed out the window.

Fabiana and I