Río Caura, day 5 – the beach
We have finally arrived at the vast sandbanks of destination El Playón where this part of our river journey ends. Small wooden houses are spread on the beach, and with the evening sun sending a paradise glow down upon everything, it is hard not to feel amazed.
After dinner Caracas man Francisco pops an expensive French red wine and offers me a glass in the dark overlooking the water. His wife is asleep in a hammock nearby. “Mmmm, this is really camping”, he says.
Dictator socialism
Francisco expresses his pride in the fact, that educated European students like me wants to come to Venezuela regardless of the political situation. He is openly frustrated by the socialist leadership of President Hugo Chávez.
– It has been 10 years now and it’s not getting any better. Chávez wants to do to Venezuela what Fidel Casto did to Cuba, and all though we should be a democracy here, that man is running the country like a dictator.
Belonging to wealthy class of Venezuelans, Francisco admits that Cháves missions have helped some poor people, but he doesn’t think he is building any foundation for the future, though he has had every opportunity with all the oil money floating in the country. And this frustrates him.
– I am a socialist too, you know. Just not this way.