Victor Di Mauro, 23 years old, small-business owner.
Small-business owners have been deeply affected by the coronavirus pandemic; I am the owner of a convenience store, and despite how difficult it is to start a new venture in Venezuela, before quarantine I was planning to open a second minimarket, but I could not do it because civil-law notaries are not working and there are no fiscal printers available. I was very anxious to open my business because since October I’ve been paying a monthly lease, and although my business is closed, I have to keep on paying it.
In Venezuela, we have to do whatever it takes to make money, and that’s why also, before the quarantine, I used to resell Toyota auto parts, but the shipping companies are not working and also, since there is no gasoline in the country, people are not taking their cars out of their houses, not even to fix them. There are many Venezuelans who do not have a job, and that is why buying auto parts is no longer a priority.
Basically, all my ways, to be able to make money, were closed, which places me in a quite challenging position since despite being very young, I practically live alone and I have many expenses to cover, so I’ve had to make use of my savings to be able to pay them. Thank God, since I work in the food sector, I have managed to make a little extra money by selling flour, pasta, rice, among other things, to try to use as little as possible of my savings.
At the beginning of the quarantine, I did not feel as overwhelmed as I do now because my car was still working, the price of gasoline was not as high as it is today and I could work, but now, the situation is very different from that. The engine of my SUV is broken and I couldn’t repair it because all auto repair shops are closed; I am a very active person, I like to go outside to work, and during my free time, I enjoyed going out with my friends and my girlfriend, and it has been a little sad for me to be forced to stay alone in my apartment.
This is why I have looked for ways to entertain myself. Even though the internet in my house does not work, I use my phone’s internet to play online with my friends, talk to my girlfriend, watch movies and to talk every day with my mother and sister, who live in Spain and this is how I feel a little more emotionally supported. I also have a dog and every time I take him out I stay there for a while to breathe fresh air and change my environment.
I believe that the quarantine in Venezuela will be prolonged for a long time because this situation goes beyond the issue of the coronavirus since it has been used as an instrument to try to cover up the gasoline shortage. In particular, I do not think that the information that the government gives us about the virus in the country is completely true, I have not yet met the first person who has the virus, and I have family members who work in the health sector and they have not told me anything about it. I think there are cases because it is a global pandemic, but I do not know for sure if actually there are as many as the official figures of the government say. The truth is I consider that it will be very difficult for Venezuelans to readjust ourselves to our daily lives because although coronavirus has affected the entire world, in Venezuela, the situation is much worse. To all those who are reading me, I tell you to respect the preventive measures, but above all, that you not abandon your families and friends and that you constantly keep in touch with them.
Photo credit: Ivanna Mía Márquez.
