Paying the ultimate price for hunger

Guiria – It is a short trip by sea from the once-prosperous port town of Guiria in northeast Venezuela to the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago.

But in the past two years, the 80km stretch has become a watery grave for more than 100 residents of the state of Sucre and its capital, Guiria, a city of 40 000 people.

Many perished while fleeing Venezuela’s floundering economy and political turmoil, hoping to find a new life, while others were making the treacherous journey simply to buy food.

Just last month, almost 30 people drowned when their boat – which had space for eight passengers but left Guiria with 41, according to authorities – sunk in the Gulf of Paria.

Many had gone to stock up on flour, rice, oil and other essentials that have become scarce and prohibitively expensive in Venezuela, after three years of hyperinflation and a seven-year recession.

“They were going to buy food so that we would not have to worry over Christmas,” said Julio Pottella, a 51-year-old mechanic who lost two nephews in the latest tragedy to shake the community, where clandestine journeys to Trinidad and Tobago have become a part of life.

Jose Carlos San Vicente Pottella, 30, and Noelvis Astudillo, 29, are among those whose bodies were pulled from the water days after fishermen spotted the wreckage and alerted authorities.

The authorities said 29 people died, but family members put the number at 34.

“They had planned to send the food [ home] ... they were going to buy 10 bags of flour, five bags of rice, three to four bullets [20-litre containers] of oil, and four or five boxes of chicken,” Pottella said. “It’s cheaper to buy there,” he said.

Matters are further worsened by roads in poor condition, a chronic shortage of fuel and officials demanding bribes along the routes usually taken to purchase goods in the capital and other cities.

“For many Guiria merchants, it is more profitable to buy Trinidadian products than Venezuelan ones,” said Kevin, a 37-year-old trader who mans a market stall because his pinched profits do not allow him to rent a shop.

The limited legal travel options available have been curtailed by restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 epidemic. –