Venezuela trip would be filled with hazards--Caos en Venezuela posterga viaje

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In about a month Margarita Vivas hopes to make a long-awaited trip to her native Venezuela, a trip she had planned last year but which she later canceled.

As things stand, it's getting harder for the Orlando woman to plan a trip to the South American country that would avoid the country's political and economic turmoil. That's because in Venezuela political and civil unrest have become the order of the day.

Vivas, worried about her ailing 78-year-old mother, says she's going anyway because she can't wait any longer to see her.

"My mom has had a stroke and she's in a wheelchair," Vivas said.

She would have gone to Venezuela last year but, to put it mildly, 2002 wasn't a very good year for the country.

In April 2002 there was the on-again, off-again coup against President Hugo Chávez.

Since then, it seems Venezuela has experienced civil demonstrations on a weekly basis, standoffs between pro- and anti-Chávez forces, massive strikes, shootings, gasoline shortages (in an oil-rich country, no less) and a two-digit recession.

Venezuela's shock waves have been felt even in Central Florida. First, Venezuelans are among the fastest-growing Hispanic groups in the region, and will remain so as long as they seek to escape Chávez.

In addition, Venezuela's political mayhem caused Vivas to close down the Venezuelan Trade Office in Orlando, which she used to head. The office was located on the ninth floor of City Hall, where the Office of the Government of Puerto Rico and Casa de Mexico also are based.

During Mayor Glenda Hood's tenure, the doors of City Hall were opened wide to such diverse groups, often on very favorable terms. For instance, the Venezuelan Trade Office paid just $200 a month in rent, according to Vivas. The other groups also pay nominal amounts for their space.

When Chávez returned to power (48 hours after the coup attempt) and consolidated his hold over Venezuela, it seemed the folks in City Hall began to get a little nervous. Far be it for the name of Glenda Hood to be linked with that of Hugo Chávez in any way. The Venezuelan Trade Office had to go. Vivas said the office wasn't part of Chávez's government, but that may be too fine a distinction. The office received funding from the Venezuelan government.

"This is a disaster," Vivas said of Chávez's government. "People were associating us with Chávez."

Disaster or not, Vivas said she will head to Venezuela in June, and she is taking her American-born daughter with her.

Vivas' mother pleads with her not to come, but she will have none of it.

If there are gasoline shortages, Vivas said she'll figure out a way to get to her hometown, which is four hours from the capital of Caracas.

If trouble breaks out while she is there, her daughter is her ace card, Vivas said.

"My daughter is an American citizen, and we can go to the American embassy to get protection," she said.

Or, if things get really bad -- Venezuela is rocking and rolling toward a constitutional referendum in August -- Vivas may be forced to heed her mother's advice and postpone her trip, yet again.

María Padilla can be reached at mpadilla@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5162.