The last few decades we have seen Venezuela deteriorate and values decay in many ways. From corruption to ethics, the news of one more “guiso” or scandal simply are assumed as an ordinary event. We seem to be by now immune to scandals and horrific news, from hellish jails to billion dollar losses, unacceptable events are barely given a glance and then people move on to the next item.
But I was completely shocked to read this item in the local press. In brief, two brothers, one of whom was a power line technician for Corpoelec, were murdered apparently because people were unhappy with the blackouts in the town of San Mateo, about an hour south of Caracas. According to the article, the technician was trying to fix a problem, when some neighbors approached him to complain about the delay in fixing the power problems and blaming him for the power failures. In the discussion, the neighbors pulled guns and shot the technician and his brother.
I don’t know if the story is true. I hope it is not. It shows a level of intolerance and impatience that is beyond belief and understanding. If I gasped when I heard that a rapist was killed by the neighbors a couple of years ago in Coche, western Caracas, this news item is simply horrific and again, if true, it represents a new hallmark in the deterioration of values in Venezuela. Life seems to have little value, for criminals or for ordinary citizens tired of bad electric service.
You would think this news would be prominent, politicians would condemn it, people discuss it. Instead it is an obscure news item in El Universal, unknown to most, ignored by many. Just another day in Venezuela…
The Devil's Excrement 