August 2017

Señor Julián is a Venezuelan retired police officer who doesn’t talk much but works very hard as a carpenter, building furniture and knickknacks mainly for tourists who drive by his modest house on the main road to the capital city of Caracas. He lives with his family: his daughter, his son, son in law, and a grandson named Emilio who has Down syndrome and suffers from an intestinal disorder. Emilio has been waiting for a colonoscopy for almost a year but there is no indication that he will be getting one soon, given the current state of affairs in the country and its health system. Everyone contributes to the family business and social services help somewhat by way of a meek retirement pension, but still the household income is roughly the equivalent to US$15 per month which is barely enough to eat. Señor Julián’s family is the epitome of the harsh reality faced by 82% of the Venezuelan population who live in poverty.