Caracas Chronicles

Yesterday Nicolás Maduro expelled three diplomats from the US Embassy. This was all a temper tantrum, a diversion based on false accusations as we all know. But you know what rarely gets mentioned when these incidents occur? The toll it takes on families and livelihoods.

The people that got expelled for simply being American had been in Venezuela for quite some time. They probably have friends, people working in their homes, social relations, even rental agreements. Their kids are in school. They have bank accounts, personal belongings, and even stuff they are attached to. All of the sudden … poof! Out you go! You must leave in 48 hours.

I have a feeling some of these diplomats’ kids or their friends read this blog, and I’m sure they’re saddened to hear that one of their own (a friend, a compañera de curso) is having to simply get up and leave just because of a political temper tantrum. All the plans for the school year, all the social connections – they’re taken away from you out of the blue, without any chance of preparing for it.

To them, and to all those left scrambling in the wake of Maduro’s whims, my sympathies.