In Venezuela, hungry child gangs use machetes to fight for ‘quality’ garbage

Miami Herald ^ | March 27, 2018 | Eduard Freisler

[detective]

As Liliana picks lice from the tangled, thick hair of her boyfriend, Patricio, while they sit together on the sidewalk of a Caracas street, she’s also multi-tasking, keeping a watchful eye on her “family.” When a 10-year-old girl named Danianyeliz kneels down to drink water from a puddle, Liliana reproaches her, urging her to have a sip from a juice bottle they’ve just found in a garbage bag.

At 16, Liliana has become the mother figure for a gang of Venezuelan children and young adults called the Chacao, named after the neighborhood they’ve claimed as their territory. The 15 members, ranging in age from 10 to 23, work together to survive vicious fights for “quality” garbage in crumbling, shortage-plagued Venezuela. Their weapons are knives and sticks and machetes. The prize? Garbage that contains food good enough to eat.

[detective]

This is what socialism is in real life.

[SaveFerris]

Horrible stories.

Just what Obama would give to the U.S.A. And liberals are frankly too stupid to even figure out how he played them while doing his damage.

I could easily believe that he’s an offspring of Malcolm X.

But hey....

[a fool in paradise]

Machetes are good for arms reduction.

[OttawaFreeper]

Maybe these two could go down there and help.

[txnativegop]

bingo!

[rktman]

Send Hogg to march against machete violence. Emma can go with to translate.

[Sirius Lee]

Her arms are twice as thick as Fagg;s.

[factoryrat]

South America reverting to its pre-european roots.

Socialist are just tribal-feudal warlords with guns, shiny limousines, and snappy uniforms.

[Boardwalk]

I was in Venezuela on vaca circa 25 years ago with the parents. Our resort in Caracas was fabulous. My parents took us to see poverty one day just a short ride away. It was BAD! People lived in carboard crates. I just wanted to get back to the 5 pools but i did feel for the people. It was sureal. I can not even fathom it now! I dont want to. God save them!

[TADSLOS]

Ping

[sumuam]

Damn, I remember when Venezuela was the jewel of S.A. when my mom used to watch her novellas in the mid 80s. All those Spanish soap stars fled to Miami or Argentina after Chavez.

[jmaroneps37]

What comrade Bernie plans for us.

[Pajamajan]

More joyous results of Socialism.

[marktwain]

I suspect in Venezuela, the government media is saying all of this is the fault of the United States.

A government can always find a way to blame someone else.

[Aut Pax Aut Bellum]

This is what socialism is in real life.
Bernie's children.

[neverevergiveup]

That so many in academia think Karl Marx was a genius is exactly why academics should never be assumed to be ‘experts’ or to have superior knowledge/intellect (think Obama). Marx was a lazy freeloader whose father was upset with him because he didn't do much that would make him employable. The horrible thing is that many millions have died, and many more millions have suffered because of him. Nonetheless, the left keeps propping up the same destructive bs, because to do otherwise would be to admit that they've really been wrong and stupid.

[familyop]

Communism, fascism, same thing. It’s in South America. It’s cultural. It’s inherited.

[Tzimisce]

Am I supposed to feel sorry for these people?

People like me warned them not to vote for Chavez.

And the people of Venezuela called us racists.

But if it makes you feel any better, the same thing is going to happen here. Just as soon as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren get elected.

We’ll see it in our lifetimes. :)

[SkyDancer]

Sounds like a scene out of the original Star Trek series on TV where the kids ruled.

[Boardwalk]

Depending on how old you are.