South Florida Venezuelans incensed over flight cuts

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | feb 26, 2006 | Doreen Hemlock

[wouldntbprudent]

Weston resident Maria Story talks to her mother in Venezuela at least once a day, but the call from Caracas came unusually early Saturday.

"My mom called me crying this morning," said the 29-year-old graphic designer, as news spread that Venezuela plans to drastically cut U.S. airline service starting Wednesday. "She is super sad and scared that this might limit the visits she will be able to make to see us."

Across South Florida, the Venezuelan community and those doing business with the oil-rich nation reacted with sadness, dismay, anger and concern, with many deriding the flight cuts as yet another political jab at Washington by Venezuela's vitriolic President Hugo Chávez, an ally of Cuba's Fidel Castro.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Chavez is going to drive out anyone who has more than 100 dollars to their name out of that country.

[freedumb2003]

"My mom called me crying this morning," said the 29-year-old graphic designer, as news spread that Venezuela plans to drastically cut U.S. airline service starting Wednesday. "She is super sad and scared that this might limit the visits she will be able to make to see us."

You gotta wonder who her mom voted for. You get the government you deserve.

When the cows come home to roost, you have to sleep in the bread you buttered.

[PhiKapMom]

It won't make a difference to the spammers on here with their one issue of immigration -- one reason I don't do a lot of posting anymore because they show up on most threads even if it has nothing to do with the topic.

Get the feeling they want to tank this site and drive off people.

[Galveston Grl]

Venezuelans voted for this wacko in a frenzy of economic jealously and mob action. They were followers of the sassiest, nastiest and stupidest man their society could produce because he has charisma. He can whip a crowd into a frenzy and the Venezuelans played their part of the brainless peasants with pitch forks.

Now they have have a Castro in power who is going to abuse the heck out of them. They voted him in knowing he was a communist and a pal of Castro. That is what they wanted for themselves. They deserve him.

The Democrats support Chavez and Castro openly and proudly (remember Elian). They love them. I would bet Venezuelans in the US vote for the Democrats who love the abusive dictator who just took over their country. I would bet the Venezuelans here voted for Clinton and were taken in by his charisma even though Clinton did all he could to support and promote communists in South America.

[adorno]

And as far as your point of view that exiles should not be welcome here,

Whoa!!! Hold on there pardner! When did I say anything about exiles not being welcome? You're reading too much into my reply to that other 'exile' comment.

...fortunately there are enough people in this country who welcome victims of political or religious oppression rather than lock them out.

And I happen to be one of those people, thank you!

I guess you don't think much of the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, either.

There you go again making assumptions or reading between the lines what wasn't between the lines.

Come on, get a grip! My comments were related to a statement that was made which wasn't very clear regarding exiles/aliens and whether wealth should be a deciding factor on whether people should be allowed in the country. Read very carefully! Nuances sometimes do matter.

[The Cuban]

One of the predictable fruits of socialism, the division of the family.

[daviddennis]

I've met some Cuban exiles and you're not going to find a more patriotic, loyal group of people anywhere.

Sometimes it takes understanding the other side to appreciate what we have here.

D

[Rushmore Rocks]

I was at my travel agent's office yesterday morning to book a flight for my husband to Brazil (a business trip). She told me that Brazil was no problem, but you cannot go to Venezuela right now on Continental, Delta and American Air. Chavez is cutting them all off.

[dfwgator]

Chavez is going to drive out anyone who has more than 100 dollars to their name out of that country.

And then like Castro, when the brain drain is too much, nobody will be able to get out.

[VeniVidiVici]

Pretty soon, the only way to escape Venezuela will be life rafts.

That's precisely what Chubby wants. That way he'll have yet one more thing in common with his hero, Castro: The most popular mode of transportation to the US.

[Kirkwood]

Just fly through Bogota (or any large South or Central American city) to Miami.

[Sam Cree]

For that matter, the Cubans have been the primary "conservative" block of south Florida voters. The "Americans" that live here tend to vote left.

[LegendHasIt]

"Back in the day" (like 20-35 years ago) I knew a lot of Venezuelans; Went to the Academy with several, Did business with several in later years; Even went down there for some consulting work in the early 80s.

Everyone I knew or even ran across was a hard worker, well educated, well spoken, capatilistic as heck, and often even more politically conservative than I am if that is possible.

So, imagine my great surprise when they 'elected' this communist buffoon to lead them.

Any ills the people of Venezuela suffer are their own fault for allowing Hugo to run things.

Too bad. They had the potential to be a great country. Another couple of years of Hugo or anyone like him and they will never be able to recover, doomed forever to third world (or worse) status.

[YOUGOTIT]

If they are sad they should get Hugo voted out of office. They voted him in and I feel that there will never be another vote as long as he is there just like Fidel.

[SuziQ]

It will be interesting to see what effect, if any, this has on how the people of Venezuela view their President. If they are not allowed to move around freely outside their country, they may not like him as well.

[NonValueAdded]

Better that the get their mom out of there than worry about the airline schedule.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

My brother vacationed in Venezuela about 10 years ago. He had a great time there and talked about how beautiful it is there. It's really sad to think that Comrade Chavez is going to mess that country up like Castro did to Cuba.

[doc30]

Just fly through Bogota (or any large South or Central American city) to Miami.

With the new changes in immigration policy, refuges must arrive directly from their country of origin to the U.S. to apply for refugee status. In the minds of U.S. Immigration, if you are a refugee, you should be happy to be in the first country you can get to. If you are country hopping, then you are seeking permanent immigration to the U.S., and are not escaping as a refugee. The changes came into effect because a lot of people were traveling to Canada first, then crossing into the U.S. at land border crossings. Now they are told to stay in Canada if they are truly refuges and not to shop for the best country to move to.

[chpmass]

Most of the smart, well educated folks (outside of the academic elites) did not vote for him. He was elected by the poor masses that fall for the lure of populist rhetoric.

[MRMEAN]

The flight cuts for U.S. carriers stand to benefit Venezuela's own airlines, especially Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela, which has supported the move.

Time to cut off Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela.