This Is What It's Like To Spend A Day With A Venezuelan Government Minder

Buzz Feed ^ | June 6, 2017 | Karla Zabludovsky

[C19fan]

We were trying to count the people standing in a breadline when William Contreras arrived.

The line was forming outside of a bakery in the Caracas run-down neighborhood of Catia, about 20 people long with a half dozen more sprinting past me and our photographer, Cristian Hernández. It was a perfect illustration of the desperate situation of a country that was, a few years ago, boasting of its oil-funded socialist prosperity.

Contreras was our government minder, a bulky 50-year-old alderman with salt-and-pepper hair. When he pulled up to us, he seemed oblivious to the snaking line.

[C19fan]

Now if a media member wants to report on Venezuela they have to have a minder with them. Straight out of Communism.

[blueunicorn6]

Maybe they can borrow some money from Puerto Rico.

[sickoflibs]

Does he have armed guards or soldiers protecting him at all times?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness POSITIVELY by uniting our affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.

Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one . . .- Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776)

[Neidermeyer]

Maybe the Europeans will start flying into Caracas for vacation now,,, Cuba is improving somewhat but you can probably hire a Venezuelan co-ed student for the night for 2 cans of baked beans...

[piasa]

From what I heard he has Cubans... and since one of his officials is a Muslim with ties to Iran, he may have them, too. More trustworthy than Venezuelans, as they have no ties or sympathies with the local people.