I get it. Not a great way of protesting… Reminiscent of these times, still fresh in my mind at the moment, it's being hard to forget. They linger waiting for it's time to creep on you and slowly mess up your mind.
Creeping slowly, with no one to notify, no one to specify; we try to keep it low….
But for how long?
Violence - was never the science to make the government consciences understood, like a kid not in the mood, contradict and playing deaf would resolve matters. Everyone took a piece out iof the cake….
Suspicious packages disguising bombs, cars parked on high volume traffic ready to explode at any moment, in front of tv stations or radio stations, kidnapping of well known personalities in exchange of collecting money, extortions, robbery of high end establishments, etc.
Plus the price increase of food
Plus the scarcity of gasoline
Plus workers going on strike
Curfews came into place
No humans walking on the streets after 6pm
Walking dead- Latino version…..
Random night shootings
Random explosions heard at the distance….
Random fires on businesses
Looting started…..
Everyone became suspicious of everyone…
Everything…..
Random blackouts for days in a row…
No potable water distribution to houses….
We grew up learning how to survive, knowing and learning how to survive a flash mob, walk away from violent protests and looting and not getting robbed and knife or gun point.
Car bombs not exploding out of the blue on ur back or during working hours.
If you made it in one piece to lay down to sleep and see the daylight the next day, another day you safely and smart way to make to the next day…..
I survived a robbery, snatching of my belongings, witnessed a kidnapping and attack, almost taken to jail due to not participating in a protest against the government.
Explosion of a car bomb
A bad, bad world outside I had to learn to survive….
I graduated as a Graphic Designer, trying to get into screenwriting.
Looking back at that time, amongst having to learn how to survive during a chaotic time where the government and their citizens did not agreed with the new government laws, teenager growing issues, security on the streets, finish my studies, surviving all of that to get graduated and perhaps find a job to survive, was not that much appealing to be highly satisfied and say that fortunately, all that effort to say, that at the end, I was a useful contribution to my country, with a reasonable career and a useful person to the violent starting to contribute to the current society.
Where to finish studies? Snd where to graduate?
Where to go to work?
No guarantees of personal security
No guarantee of coming naked home alive
No guarantee of sleeping with a peace of mind
No guarantee of seeing the sun rise once again the next day….
Surviving all types of attacks against the government decisions, violence on the streets, and unemployment rates escalating was alarming.
Suspicious bomb packages randomly left right at the main entrance of the government offices. Working for another news broadcast tv station became an easy target.
Government offices, became an easy common target…. my workplace became a target on a busy day at work, structural damage was reported. That day I saw the whole building shook to the explosive waves. Thank God no personal casualties.
Terror, looting, crime all of the sudden started to escalate. Nobody was happy with the government. Salaries that at some point made late for asir to live, instead of helping you, increased the worry and uncertainty in everyone's future. No more family reunions, no more parties - in general. No more celebrations.
I remembered going to the 'Presidential Parade' where the President showed off his artillery snd army. Wow they are huge and intimidated me. I get goose bumps even now when I see a gun.
Every time I had to walk by the police, I could feel goosebumps showing up on my spine.
Not pleasant.
Vehicles especially adapted to break up unexpected coups against the government, setting up buses, buildings, supermarkets on fire, knowing the fastest clean scape routes away from protesters.
Not being abused in general, by anyone.
Natural disasters….
Earthquakes…..
Like it or not, forcefully learned to survive a war I was not invited to participate in.
As a woman, had my own personal survival everyday skills. My day started early morning going to study. Work after until midnight, go home. Wake up next day, go to study, go to work, go home.
Friday nights, friends from college would get together to go party.
Weekends, house chores, help mom and dad.
Go to church.
Monday to Friday, study and work.
Survive terrorist random attacks,
Repeat.
Monday to Friday.
Saturday
Sunday
Repeat….
There has to be a better solution
Somewhere...