In 2022, the world witnessed an invasion that put an entire continent on edge, natural disasters with unfortunate losses, the passing away of famous people such as the King of football and the Queen of England, and many political conflicts that swept through the continent and our country.

Venezuelan independent news media Radio Fe y Alegría Noticias compiled a selection of twelve moments, one per month, that marked the agenda and public conversations and became a trend on social media, giving the people something to talk about.

A rough start to 2022

The social and economic crisis in Venezuela offered a harsh reality check in early 2022 with the case of Pedro José Salinas, an 83-year-old university professor who spent several days next to the dead body of his wife after she died as a result of a heart attack

Both lived alone, as their children are out of the country. They were in a state of severe dehydration and malnutrition because their pensions as retired teachers were not enough to have a decent life after having educated hundreds of people at the Universidad de Los Andes. The case is a sad reflection of the experience of the thousands of retirees and pensioners in the country, whose monthly income does not exceed 10 dollars.

February of glamor and scandal

Our natural landscapes have served as the inspiration for songs, stories, poems, movies and, of course, national scandals. In February, the Tepuy Kusari of the Canaima National Park was the talk of the town after learning about the lavish celebration of a birthday party.

Using his contacts, the owner of a camp organized a party at the flat top of the mountain with an exclusive list of guests who invaded a fragile space of unique biodiversity without respecting the needs of the place, to the condemnation of activists and environmental organizations.

An invasion that still hurts us

2022 was also marked by the decision of the Russian government to invade Ukraine. The world is keeping track of the damage, deaths, and losses caused by the conflict that began on February 24.

In March, the UN Human Rights Council appointed a special team to investigate the possible commission of war crimes in Ukraine, hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent these crimes from happening elsewhere in the world.

The virality of reality

Social media became platforms for people to give free rein to their creativity and express their concerns with a touch of humor, and Venezuela has been no exception.

In our country, the recounts of people arrested in the framework of the Law Against Hate for accusations made against public institutions or members of the national government are well known. In April, a landmark case took place with the arrest of a 72-year-old woman along with her son for recording and publishing a satire video naming her arepas -the national Venezuelan dish- after high-profile public officials, including Diosdado Cabello, Cilia Flores and Tarek William Saab.

Everyday saints

May 2022 marked a very special moment for education in Venezuela and especially for the local organization Fe y Alegría when the Catholic Church announced the start of the beatification cause for Abraham Reyes and Patricia García, co-founders of the movement for popular education.

More than 67 years ago, Reyes and Garcgía handed over a part of their house to create the first school in the 23 de Enero neighborhood, which would later give way to the formation of Fe y Alegría, an organization with a presence in 22 countries around the world. They sowed the first seed, showing that one can become a saint from everyday deeds, from sharing how much or little one has to set an example for others.

Dying hospitals

The social crisis that marked the beginning of 2022 did not abate during the rest of the year. In June, social media exploded with the shocking scene of a doctor in Villa de Cura, Aragua, using a plastic bag to deliver a baby.

The often serious situation of health centers did not become an issue with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortage of medical supplies and equipment made the work of the health personnel an uphill battle, with cases of doctors who were arrested for asking patients to bring the supplies for their attention.

A deadly gap

2022 also showed us the worst face of the new migration route that Central American and Venezuelan people began to take in search of their “American dream” and the decent living conditions they lack in their own countries.

The Darién gap, a dangerous jungle pass located in Panama, became a wall that took the lives of many of our people due to the extreme conditions of a route used as a risky alternative by those without papers or money to pay for a plane ticket.

Children, men, women, entire families or single people. Thousands of Venezuelans and people of other nationalities walked through the jungle, with many of them failing to get out at the other end, giving in to the inclement conditions of the area.

We want us alive and free

On the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, which was celebrated in July, a report by the Venezuelan NGO Mulier revealed a dramatic increase in the number of women rescued from trafficking networks.

The organization had recorded 415 Venezuelan women rescued from these networks in 2021, including an alarming number of 138 children and teenagers, a figure that has been on the rise since 2019, when only 90 cases were reported.

The 2021 Libres y Seguras report pointed out that for every 10 victims detected across the world, 5 are adult women, 2 are girls and the other 3 are adolescents. The most common modality is trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

The excursion that put the country on the edge

What could have seemed like an innocent spiritual retreat became the news that kept Venezuela on the edge for a couple of days when a group of 16 people went missing in La Grita, Táchira state.

Although they always maintained the position of having attended a retreat to pray for the end of the world, the relatives of the campers began to worry about them as days passed without communication with the group, which led them to file a report before the authorities and the media. Social networks did the rest and the eyes of the entire country turned to La Grita while hypotheses ranging from kidnapping to a religious sect began to circulate.

After two weeks “missing”, the group was found safe and sound.

A tragic October

The month of October 2022 will not be the same for the residents of Las Tejerías, the capital city of the Santos Michelena municipality in the state of Aragua, after the Los Patos ravine overflowed on October 9 after an afternoon of heavy rains.

The event became the largest disaster caused by the rains in the country in 2022, without forgetting to mention the events in other states such as Mérida, Zulia, Táchira, Trujillo, Anzoátegui, Guárico, Delta Amacuro and Lara.

In the case of Las Tejerías, the geologist Luiraima Salazar explained to Radio Fe y Alegría Noticias that the debris descended abruptly as a result of saturation in the mountains after so many hours of rain.

Food that does not feed

In Venezuelan schools, students are invited on November 18 to celebrate Food Day. However, for millions of Venezuelan families, the table is set with products that do not feed or nourish them.

According to the food expert Susana Raffali, the government should discontinue the service offered as social assistance through food boxes provided by the Local Supply and Production Committees (CLAP) because the products consist of refined carb and ultra-processed food “that will bring the country a major problem in terms of heart and metabolic diseases in the future”.

Raffalli assured us this is the reason why we have children who, although not so thin or hungry, have impaired growth and high rates of malnutrition as a result of a poor diet at home. And although it is not just about eliminating the program that benefits low-income families in particular, she proposed issuing stamps that can be exchanged for food that provides true nutritional value according to people’s needs.

The other country

Fe y Alegría will never give up on working for a better Venezuela, the country that gets up every day to give its best without expecting anything in return.

That is why the organization recognized in 2022 the everyday work of thousands of volunteers that work with us to realize the educational mission inherited from our founders, for the benefit of the children and young people in the most remote areas where the big picture does not reach.

The organization expressed gratitude to the people who, regardless of the time or the distance, leave the asphalt behind to reach every corner of the country and walk along with our students and their families with a word of encouragement and their company.

Despite the difficulties of the past year, we are committed to continuing to look up and smile at those who feel and are alone, apart, or forgotten.

Whether with books, pencils or our microphones, we continue tirelessly and persistently in bringing the word and action of good day after day. Radio Fe y Alegría will continue in 2023 to look up to listen to all voices.

Translated by José Rafael Medina