Si eres venezolano, estás aquí y tienes la posibilidad de elegir. Elige pensando en el futuro, en el reencuentro de tu familia y amigos. En la posibilidad de que tu familia no muera en tus brazos, mi abuelo murió en los brazos de mi mamá, porqué no había una camilla disponible en emergencia. Elige por una educación de calidad, elige por un país diferente y en el que todos podamos crecer.

Hay muchos venezolanos que darían todo por hacerlo. En la cola que fluyó lentamente, todos estábamos llenos de esperanza, de anhelos y posibilidades. La posibilidad de construir un futuro distinto. Aún hay mucho por hacer, también que esperar. No sé qué pueda suceder en las próximas horas, pero de algo estoy seguro: Hoy hicimos y haremos historia.

Contenido original de @neruel. Todos los derechos reservados ©, 2024. Imagen: Samsung Galaxy A54. Traducción: DeepL.

ENGLISH VERSION (click here!)

Today is the presidential election in Venezuela. Last night, last night, I couldn't sleep like thousands of Venezuelans. I am 28 years old, and I don't know any model of political alternation in my country. I am writing this on my phone from a long queue that I am doing with pleasure and satisfaction, and then posting it from the computer.

The fate of Venezuela will be defined in the next few hours. My insomnia was overwhelming. At 5:00 am, I was already awake. It's a strange feeling, and one that only Venezuelans understand.

There is so much at stake! Being here, I see that the way we can understand each other now and in the future is through our electoral right and obligation, that is, the vote. It is ironic because, in the last 25 years, we have been robbed of the desire, the excitement and the will to participate in an electoral process. There are many things that have happened, and the institutions have lost all credibility. The only thing I can do for the country, the only thing that thousands of Venezuelans can do, is to express ourselves at this juncture.

I myself understand that the possibility of a change of authorities is finite. There has been so much disillusionment, fraud and irregularities, and yet, once again, Venezuelans have the desire to live and shape our destiny freely.

My family is abroad. 8 years a dictatorial regime stole from me, the possibility to be together with my mother and brother. It robbed us of every special moment, and it's not just the two of them. My sister and my niece also had to escape from this insane reality. It's not just me, it's every Venezuelan in the world and in the country. We are all fractured. The rift is so big that there is no fear of losing anything. The most important thing has already been taken away from us. Words are superfluous, it is inexplicable.

The country is destroyed, the infrastructure is precarious, the health care system is very poor, education is stagnant, salaries are Pyrrhic, and the exodus is immense. The only option for living is to do everything or to look for a job abroad remotely. It is not healthy, it is not logical, it is exhausting and it is sad. Some of us are lucky, others are not.

Venezuela has it all. That everything is at the top and at the bottom of the country. We can do so many things, we can build a solid future, but it all depends on what happens today.

It depends on every Venezuelan, and it will not be enough just to vote. This election is so complicated because it is not done in freedom and with democratic institutions. It is so different from a country where institutions work and there is respect for the national will.

Like many, my future here is determined by what happens today. My greatest wish is to build and live in a country where we can discuss and understand each other, where there is no offense to opposing positions, and where there is no fear of writing what you believe.

If you are Venezuelan, you are here, and you have the possibility to choose. Choose to think about the future—about the reunion of your family and friends. There is a possibility that your family will not die in your arms. My grandfather died in my mother's arms because there was no stretcher available in the emergency room. Choose a quality education, and choose a different country in which we can all grow.

There are many Venezuelans who would give everything to do so. In the slow-flowing queue, we were all full of hope, longing and possibilities. The possibility of building a different future. There is still much to do, much to hope for. I don't know what will happen in the next few hours, but I am sure of one thing: Today we have made and will make history.

Original content by @neruel. All rights reserved ©, 2024. Image: Samsung Galaxy A54. Translation: DeepL.