Personal Narrative: The Venezuelan Revolution

Would you say that life has any sense? Or Is there an answer for everything in life? Three years ago I was completely messed up about this. Gustavo Adolfo Parra Chassaigne that’s how my parents called me and I was born in Maracay a little city next to Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. I used to be the first student of all my high school, also one of the first in tennis of my state and everybody said that my family was “perfect”. So, What did happen to me?

As I said before, many critics agreed that Hugo Chavez has been able to diminished Venezuelan democracy to convert it to a competitive authoritarian regime. Chavez has controlled the country and stills does, in a way in that using populism and his policy of clientism he gets the masses and specially the poor to support him and agreed with him in many of his reforms and actions. Allying himself with leftist countries like Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and especially Cuba, Chavez has implemented what he calls a “Bolivarian Revolution”, revolution that allows him to have a complete control of the country. Furthermore, Chavez has been using the oil revenues not only as a method of getting international support for his ideas and type of regime but also, for his own personal enrichment

“On February 11th, 2015 I infiltrated the cartel as a low level coke pusher. Within a few weeks I had worked my way up to the leader of all operations in southeastern California. This quick progression caught the attention of my superiors which was exactly what I wanted. The plan was to meet all of them and take them all down at one time. But that changed when right before the first meeting, some new intel came in that they were small fish compared to who we could get. So, at the meeting no team came in to arrest them and I continued my work of moving up in the cartel. A year after that I was meeting the man in charge Ismael Garcia. We were meeting in an old warehouse to discuss our growth and budget. I had contacted the FBI with all the details and I was simply to stall so they could set up a perimeter. It’s still a mystery to me today how but somehow they got wind that they were setup. Their response was to kidnap me on the way to the meeting. As I turned into the warehouse lot, two vans pulled up next me, opened my door and put a bag over my head. The next thing I know I’m sitting in a dark room with in empty chair in front of me. About five minutes later a guy comes in threatening me with a gun to my head saying they knew I was the rat, and so I said , “No, no it wasn’t me. You guys know me. I’ve been here for two years you really

To begin, on May 15, 2017 I interviewed Maria Mojica about what it means to be American to her. Also, Maria Mojica, mother of 2, felt the necessity to describe that being American means that you acquire specific rights only accessible in this country. Since her mother, Guillermina Diaz, gave birth to her in Guerrero, Mexico and raised her in Anaheim, California, Maria was aware of the drastic differences between Mexico and America. Furthermore, she captured the idea that her life would ameliorate and that she could become much more successful in America versus Mexico. Although she believes that America is unsatisfactory due to more crime and violence, she declares that America has progressed in the aspect that America has grown economically

As I walk to the store to pick up snacks for the next half of the super bowl, I am trying to make it quick. I finally arrive at the store and quickly get my two favorite items, skittles and an ice tea. Thinking to myself that this is all I need, not knowing that it would be my last meal. On the walk back home, I have a feeling that I am being followed. I speed up. I turn around to find that a grown Hispanic man, mid-age, and heavily built is in fact, following me. In my head, I just want to make it home safely. Every move I make, he makes the same moves. Finally I turn around, quite nervous, to see if there was a problem. Next thing I know, we are on the ground fighting. Here I am, seventeen years old, up against a man

I prefer you start by asking me questions, so I can get in the mood because I don’t feel ready for […] I can tell you about my life and about how the whole art thing started. When I was fourteen years old I suffer an attack on my spine. When I was a boy, a draw a lot, but they were mostly school-related. I show them my work in L.A. [Los Angeles] because they liked a lot there. I lived next to a Mexican neighborhood. What was its name? “Maravilla”, it was very dangerous. The pachucos of that time lived

Recognize Nieves? No? Okay, how about Zacatecas? Still not ringing a bell? Okay, okay, Mexico? Yeah, I knew you’d know that one. Nieves, Zacatecas is within the Mexico borders. A humble place where I was born. Several circumstances started evolving where I was raised. And just like any other parents, mine got concerned which later resulted of us relocating to a safer environment. A place where death would visit frequently wasn’t a good place for a 1 year old kid. A town where the word trust was unknown. Leading to my parents decision of following the american dream.

Sonia Sanchez taught me that it’s possible to not let my pain hold me from being the best that I can be. She taught me to take my past full of pain, make it great and use the talents that I have now to change this planet and become a creator of social values. I learned to have an unshakeable strength, a persevering courage and to be a fighter. I learned that I am capable of achieving the greatest things if I put my mind to it. How well I do is in my hands not in a past that can drag me down. Just like Sonia asked her teacher if she had any talent, and the teacher answered saying: “Yes, you have talent, now let’s see whether you are going to do anything with it”. She answered to the call and I am determined to answer the call too. She changed

The end of AD’s Carlos Andres Perez term as Venezuela’s fourth democratically elected president brought with it accusations of mismanagement of state funds and graft. While the allegations never amounted to any criminal charges, the situation escalated political tensions between the ruling parties and left many Venezuelans desiring a change in leadership and the nation’s path.

In the 20th century the economy of of been decreasing rapidly. The two biggest political parties are the Democratic Action party, and the Social Christian Party. The “PSUV” is a new party that has been formed very recently. In 2009 11 opposite parties grew together to form one and it ended up growing into 50 different parties in less than one year. The current president of Venezuela is Nicolas Maduro. THe president before him was Hugo Chavez but his president ended in 2013 with his heartbreaking death. The is a lot of history in Venezuelan politics and history would not be the same without

By now, it's eight in the evening, and I'm almost too tired to stand. This past night, I was up until six in the morning, too frightened to even close my eyes. Images of my stalker trying to enter my room have never stopped flashing in my mind since it had happened.

From my perspective, when Madrid uses the word “other”, he means anyone who is not the majority, anyone who is different. This could mean of a different race, having a different skin color, hair color, a different religion, and/or culture. For most Americans, people who are not white or straight (among other things) are the “others”.

On Thursday August 4, 2016, I was at work. I was informed that there was a young man asking for my work schedule (what days I worked and time) and what car I drove. After no information was given out to him (Tala Toilolo) left my work location in which shortly after Johnnie contacted a former co-worker and a current employee. He asked for the same information. Someone came to my job before my shift was over to watch out for me and inform me of everything she had heard Johnnie and affliates were after. This person warned me to "watch my back, to never be alone, and that whenever I go out whether it was work or anywhere else to not leave anywhere until I made sure my ride arrived ." If someone overhears all this and is friends with

me, since at every opportunity I upheld my convictions. Thus, I discovered the potency of

My last year in college, changed the whole course of my life. Near the end of my junior year, I befriended a guy, who never would become my boyfriend. I knew he was infatuated with me, so I lead him on. He ended up stalking me and making several death threats. I never understood the phrase “in fear of your life”, until then. Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) got involved but there wasn’t much they could do except file a police report and wait. This was a very frightening time in my life and consequently I became very disconnected with life. I never provided TPD with my stalker’s name, in fear that he would kill me if I did. I moved to a different apartment complex across town, thinking that it would make all my problems go away. He ended up finding me and making more serious death threats against me and my family if I didn’t leave Tallahassee.