It seems that Venezuelans are more striped than a tiger, and this is not good; it's a way of saying that we don't have a very good reputation. It's sad, but true
Many times, I understand the bad reputation that has generally been created. Almost every day, I see people throwing trash on the street. If it were up to me, I would imprison them for a few hours for this crime (for me it is a crime) or punish them by making them clean up publicly. Surely this bad habit and disgusting custom would not be carried out in these parts. What is wrong with people? Aren't they ashamed of themselves?
On the other hand, a few days ago I went to my sister's house to take care of her pets. It's a long way there, and I had the misfortune of having the woman sitting next to me on the bus watch a soap opera on her phone at full volume. Noise is also common here, although most people don't make it, but you notice it because it generates noise. Is it so difficult to use headphones so that only you can hear what you want to hear? We have a serious problem with culture and education here.
It is sad that with the mass exodus of Venezuelan compatriots to other countries, our bad reputation has increased, because many take their bad habits and poor lifestyle with them wherever they go, without even showing a certain degree of awareness and respect.
Of course, not all of us are like that, and not all those who have left have bad habits or customs, but it is a reality that should not be ignored, and I think it has caused quite a stir.
Writing this, I remembered that many years ago my mother had an aversion to Colombians. She didn't even want us to have friends of that nationality, and once I met a very nice Colombian boy and we were going out as friends. My mother found out and was very dismissive. I told her not to judge people by their place of origin or to generalize, because she didn't know that particular guy, and it didn't make sense to say that all Colombians were a certain way, according to my mother at the time.
It was ironic that my mother would say things like that at the time, since we ourselves were marginalized, our family, for living in what is considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. Many people thought that because someone came from that neighborhood, they were uneducated or a criminal, and there was a lot of discrimination.
Once, my sister met all the requirements for a home appliance loan, but was denied solely because of where she lived. Her boyfriend, who did not meet all the requirements, applied for the same loan and was approved because he lived in a middle-class neighborhood in Caracas.
To be completely honest, during my teenage years and college years, I was often embarrassed to say that I lived in that neighborhood. I often lied about it or avoided the subject. I didn't want to be labeled a criminal or ill-mannered. Many people judged without thinking, and at that time, I didn't have the courage to face the conclusions and opinions that most people already had in their minds.
There are many good, educated, warm, hard-working, hospitable, empathetic, and helpful people living in the neighborhoods of Caracas and throughout Venezuela. There are also many people who are not like that, but that does not define who we are as a whole.
Nowadays, I am not ashamed to say where I come from. I believe I am one of many examples that show that our environment does not define us and that, for example, the habit of stealing is not caused by a lack of certain things. There are also many white-collar thieves, and education and respect for others must come mainly from ourselves, although that does not rule out the fact that our upbringing has a direct influence on who we are. However, who we are is not entirely determined by our upbringing. We have the ability to make our own decisions and have our own criteria.
