VENEZUELA: PREGNANCY COULD MEAN DEATH IN ZULIA STATE

This pregnant woman is really concerned about the birth of her child in the midst of this context that she is living in Maracaibo

By: Gabriela Buada

It is no longer about damaged household appliances, insects lurking in the dark or high temperatures impossible to control, but about lives put in imminent danger of death. Carrying a pregnancy to term in Zulia state, in the midst of prolonged blackouts, is like living in a war camp.

Fabiana is 30 years old and 33 weeks pregnant. She lives in Maracaibo, capital of the state of Zulia, and says that, among the rashes and discomfort caused by the high temperatures to which she is exposed due to the lack of electricity, there have been times during her pregnancy that she has felt that the living conditions are inhumane and that life is unfair.

To be without electricity for a prolonged period of time is a burden that everyone needs to escape from and that many cannot, as is the case for those who live in this region of the country.

“I have two daughters, ages two and three and a half. I despair of knowing that my daughters’ quality of life is rapidly deteriorating. They no longer behave as they did before and I am concerned that after my delivery this may be harmful to the adaptation to the new baby.”

As she feels the baby move in her womb, she has to deal with her daughters’ hyperactivity: they jump, scream and run and they have panic attacks, and when the power comes back all of this becomes euphoria. “My eldest daughter’s sleep has been disturbed; she doesn’t sleep and says she’s afraid of everything and that makes her irritable. The blackouts have also affected the emotional stability of the youngest.”

This pregnant woman is really concerned about the birth of her child in the midst of this context that she is living in Maracaibo.

“I’m worried about the C-section. I don’t even want to imagine that the electricity fails, that the power plant doesn’t start.”

No transportation, no quality of life

“I live in La Paragua and thank God I work close. I come and go on foot or I get a ride to fulfill my duties until I get my leave. I have stopped sleeping, not only because of the heat and the mosquitoes, but also because the electricity comes at 3 a.m. and I have to get up to charge the electronic devices and do the laundry and fill bottles and buckets if there is water supply”.

Fabiana works in a school in the mornings and in the afternoons at home as a corrector. She has two jobs because no Venezuelan has enough money to live on and in this way she can guarantee her daughters a healthy growth, at least day by day.

“To keep my second job I have had to sacrifice rest, sleep and comfort. When the power goes out, I get stressed because all the corrections I have to make accumulate, so I make the most of my time by doing things that don’t need electricity, such as fetching water, cooking or taking care of my daughters”.

Fabiana, like many Venezuelans, demands that the authorities do their job and meet the needs of the population. “The authorities must do their job and look for ways to guarantee the functioning of basic services. We don’t want any more lies.”

Forced migration as an option to give life

Maria Fernanda’s story is no different than that of many women who decide to give birth in another country for her safety and that of her baby. This is her second pregnancy and even though her eldest son will stay in Venezuela with his grandmother and his aunt, this woman is hurt that the only safe option for having her child is to be away from her family for some time.

“We are four women and the only man in the house is my 12-year-old son. I must leave him in Venezuela looking after the house and helping out, at least for 3 months. I managed to gather the money for the birth in Cúcuta, Colombia, and the decision is made.”

“At first I had many doubts, but after the national blackout I made the decision to leave. The hospitals collapsed and the plants didn’t work. It’s my life and my baby’s life that are at stake. I don’t want to die and I don’t want my baby to die either.”

This tragedy has been going on for years, but it has worsened in the last months. “We don’t sleep well, we don’t eat well2   . It completely changed our lives and I am a single mother. I have to find the best way to deliver my son safe and sound, with nothing happening to either of us.”

Life or death

Zulia continues to shut down completely. People don’t know how to adapt to new routines, those that involve being paralyzed because there’s nothing else to do.

“Our life was paralyzed. I worked at the  Centro Delicias Norte,  the place was completely looted3   , and although we were not fired, we had to agree not to receive our salary3  while the merchandise was being restocked. I have had to work magic since then. I babysit and teach the  neighborhood  children because most of them don’t have classes and the schools don’t open all week. Everything is done at half speed, while we have electricity.”

Life in Zulia is terrible from any perspective. Heartbreaking testimonies of women sorting out ways to live with dignity and dreaming that their children never go through that suffering. Routine is unbearable.

“It’s inhuman to spend over 20 hours in a row without electricity. My blood pressure is always low. This is my 28th week and I could work and be active, but my lab tests show that I have anemia and I am retaining fluid. It’s all because of worry and that it is impossible for me to get medicines and have a balanced diet,” María Fernanda said.

“In this state almost everything is paid in foreign currency, the bolivar ceased to exist a long time ago. My son is not eating well, neither is my mother. My sister and I financially support the household but now I am unemployed and it is difficult. I have had to sell all kinds of things in order to survive.”

The commercial sector has been reduced. Hundreds of companies and businesses have been forced to close their doors by the conditions to which they are being subjected. María Fernanda plans to return after giving birth but says that if she sees any job opportunities in Colombia, she will not.

The demands made by Zulians to the local authorities and the Venezuelan government are infinite. The deterioration in the quality of life of citizens is more than evident and women are especially vulnerable. The mere fact that migration is exacerbated by the search for opportunities and even to give life safely, makes it evident that the policies implemented are insufficient and not observed. Humanitarian space must be created and giving attention to the different sectors of the Venezuelan population must be a priority. Preventable deaths must stop and human rights must be guaranteed.