The Atlanta Braves and Baseball in Venezuela – a Country in Turmoil
Venezuela has been a hot-bed of baseball for years – the best baseball country on their continent. All of that could be in danger though, as their country’s unrest is boiling over.
It’s been a building problem in Venezuela for several years now, but has come to a head since the death of Hugo Chavez. Shortages of basic supplies – electricity, milk, flour, other foods – led the government to devalue its currency. Since then inflation has spiraled, a recession took hold, and protests – often violent – have been building.
With several major league players hailing from Venezuela – including current members of the Atlanta Braves – this situation has to eat at them on a daily basis with friends and family effected.
If I were a ball player looking for a Winter League right now, Venezuela would not be my choice… particularly in or around Caracas
The situation there is bad and is still getting worse. Two weeks ago, a major US company issued a advisory message to all employees: no business travel to Caracas, Venezuela for any reason and severely restricted for the rest of the country “due to a significant increase in protest activity and the potential for significant unrest.”
There are reports of crime and corruption everywhere. In a Washington Post article from Thursday, they report on a man jailed for three months (so far) simply because he and at least 2 dozen others were selected from a line of people trying to buy food. Many see it as scapegoating a few for the sins of the government.
They also report:
"In a country with one of the world’s highest homicide rates, and where carjackings, muggings and kidnappings often go unpunished, the Venezuelan government has arrested or detained at least 9,400 people this year for allegedly breaking laws against hoarding, reselling goods or attempting to stand in line outside normal store hours, according to the Venezuelan human rights organization Movimiento Vinotinto. Many were taken into custody by the Venezuelan troops assigned to police the checkout aisles and the long lines snaking from supermarkets."
Fox News Latino makes it clear that Americans are not safe either: a Utah man was jailed on what appears to be trumped-up weapons charges on June 30th. He’s a Mormon missionary with a Venezuelan wife.
"In a July 22, 2016 decree, President Maduro used his executive power to declare a state of economic emergency. The decree could force citizens to work in agricultural fields and farms for 60-day (or longer) periods to supply food to the country. Colombian border crossings have been temporarily opened to allow Venezuelans to purchase food and basic household and health items in Colombia in mid-2016."
It’s clearly a bad situation that’s not getting any better – and one that could certainly spill over and impact other aspects of life.
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