Venezuela´s Freedom

The Venezuelan independency was declared on July 5^th 1811; Simon Bolivar was our principal Leader. He liberates Venezuela from Spain and also liberates Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. That is the main reason why he was known as “The Liberator”. I admire Bolivar very much, he was not only a really good soldier but also a great thinker and writer, my favorite Bolivar´s quote it would be translated like “Flee the country where a lone man holds all power: It is a nation of slaves”. When I read the United States of America Declaration of Independence it is mandatory for me to think about Bolivar and to think about our actual President Chavez.

Chavez has done many things in Bolivar´s name, even changing our Country name from Venezuelan Republic to Bolivarian Venezuelan Republic, he affirms that he is our Liberator; he said that he gave us freedom by the extermination of the Democratic 4^th Republic and establishing the 5^th Republic based on what he calls “The 21 century socialism”.

I believe there is an amazing relationship between Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness stated on the Declaration, for me Freedom must be close Happiness and also have a lot to do with Safety, there is no Freedom if there is no Happiness, It is impossible to have Liberty if there is no Safety, but also I strongly believe that people don´t value things that are costless, so for me Freedom can´t be for free, in my opinion you have to give something away in change of your Freedom in order to value it most, and for me that means Respect, respect to each other, respect to people feelings, respect the law, respect the nature and establish social relationships based on the concept of respect. In Venezuela I believe there is no Freedom, just one person runs all the powers, there is no freedom of speech, people that study really hard can’t get a job unless is in PSUV Chavez political party, Venezuela one of the most rich countries in the world but one of the most insecure and poor either, there were more people dead in Caracas in a weekend because of insecurity that in the War of Iraq. The health system is totally collapsed because our greater Doctors were fired in order to hire Cubans undergraduate medicine students, the education have spread in quantity but lose a lot of quality and everyone who thinks different it is not tolerated, is accused and even judge on court and sent to jail and what it is the worst part people don’t respect, don’t respect their neighbors, don’t respect the laws, don’t respect the nature.

When I was reading the declaration I was imagining that was a letter from myself to my President, if like in every word I read was the same situation that its happening in Venezuela right now, I came to United States to became a better professional, looking for Safety, Liberty, Freedom, Respect that for me means “The pursuit of Happiness”, I hope one day I return to a country where people respect, a country that is safe where I can live in Freedom and I will be accomplishing my pursuit of Happiness.

Finally I would like to quote the United States Declaration of Independence with the same deference and admiration that I always quote Bolivar, “A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people”

Homero