Ten Micro Chronicles of Resistance in the Middle of the Blackout
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“We dined those nights without light, the little ones played at telling stories without light, we lowered our little girl’s fever in the dark, we bathed without light (using “totumas”, little rounded containers), in the dark we breastfed the youngest, he was guided by the smell of his mother’s breast, he does not need light, we resist without light, without light we went to sleep, that dream of the one who is alert, with the boots on, therefore, without light we were awakened by the hot body of the girl, without light we put on her wet compresses and without light the fever was defeated, In the darkness our stubborn, intransigent, Caribbean resolve to resist was firmer. ” Julia Méndez, Barrio Bolívar, La Pastora.
“In my neighborhood, in Charallave, we made a soup with everything we thought was going to be damaged due to lack of electricity, we made a “cruzado” (soup) catfish head, chicken bones, three pieces of beef ribs, some vegetables and for the night we went back to learn how to make lanterns, we listened the music from the kids’ phones and some even dared to dance. What was a proposal from them (the right wingers) for the war, yesterday became for us (the chavistas) with that simple resistance, a celebration of a small giant victory. ” Oktyabrina Hernández, Charallave, Miranda State.
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“I saw them and I heard them from the balcony, they were in the little square in front of me, I could not believe it. Me, damn it, with this anguish and alone in the apartment and that group of people, after almost twenty hours without electricity, playing drums in rage and dancing with laughter and shouting, they had the mega rumba. I understood something “compa”: in these moments, the primitive Caribbean rage comes out, and something else: you can not walk alone, my friend. If it was not for the seven floors I had to climb, I would go downstairs and soak up these vibes with them. ” Armando Belisario, Chacao, Caracas.
A SOLIDARITY OF WAR WAS ACTIVATED WHEN IT WAS KNOWN THAT THE BLACKOUT WAS NATIONAL AND THE RESULT OF AN ATTACK
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“A two days nightmare and I did not see anyone defeated in the streets of downtown Caracas. The speed of the events sometimes does not allow us to realize how we resist. With the blackout one realized that you had books, people around to talk with, stories to tell, neighbors’ solidarity, meals made as if by magic and, of course, the radio can (not) be heard from the cell phone. Not having electricity leads one to talk more, to feel the closeness of those who share the same uncertainty, to dedicate more than one glance at the sky. 24 hours without news and the world apparently continues. That was my experience and my lesson”. Nathali Gómez, La Candelaria, Caracas.
“In our building we are around 20 families. We met to make lanterns to guarantee everyone had light during the blackout, no one left without. Out of 20 families I could say that 17 made their lanterns. We had received the CLAP boxes the day before. The ones without gas were able to have their food cooked by a neighbor. We do not have direct gas, only with tanks. The whole building was like alive, active like if there was no darkness. A wartime solidarity was activated when we knew it was a nationwide blackout and that it was the result of an attack. We set up a radio to know how things were going. There was a guarimba (terrorist right wing act) only one night but it vanished almost immediately because people turned up the volume of the music in their cars and went to the street to make a big rumba, with dance and swing. The Guarimberos had no choice but to fold it up. Kid grabbed the street in the day and it was their playground. At night, together with the neighbors of the building, we met and in addition to making safety tours we shared with the army of kids their games and stories. Here we resist all together or we get fucked.” Andy Franco, Caracas.
“One of my daughters was surprised by the first attack to the electrical system leaving from Unearte (the University of the Arts in the Center of Caracas) to Palo Verde (the extreme East of Caracas).” Walking, she arrived at Los Palos Grandes where a couple of very humble janitors welcomed her and gave her shelter during the night just in solidarity. The ones with less usually gives more. ” Willians Moreno, Palo Verde, Caracas.
Translated by JRE/EF%