eatBCH Venezuela during the pandemic

We’ve been in a crisis even before the pandemic.

Sadly, the coronavirus has made it worse. I’m writing this update after finishing delivering the last of our second round food bags. The last few had to be delivered by bicycle and on foot.

Venezuela, known as one of the country with the biggest verified oil reserves and cheapest gasoline in the world, it’s now facing the biggest shortage on it’s history. A small 200ml water bottle was much cheaper than a full truck gas tank. It was actually normal for gas station workers to clean the dust off of their stations by spreading gasoline on the floors. In 2019 there was a report1 that said the official price of a 40,000 liter gasoline truck was 1,78 bolívares or 0,0002 dollars back then.

Now Venezuela is one of the countries with the most expensive gasoline in the world, to even up to 2 dollars per liter2.

This is specially concerning because Venezuela also has one of the lowest wages in the world. Yesterday, the government almost doubled the minimun wage to a combined total of 800,000 bolivars, or around 4 dollars, per month3.

This economic crisis, coupled with the current pandemic, has been the tipping point for many. Now unrests are becoming more widespread. Someone was stabbed when getting mugged for a piece of ham, and there have been dead caused by lootings and protets.

Stores of all kinds have been looted through the country. Now the government has implemented price fixings as a way to control price spikes. These risks have made some owners either clear their stores or closed them down.

With all of this going on, we at eatBCH have kept going, all thanks to you. Your support has made it possible for us to purchase and giveaway over 350 kilos of food in a couple weeks, helping over 150 families.

It has been tough, we had to use a bicycle and sometimes deliver them on foot. We expect to get a hold of more gasoline this week and we hope that you’ll follow us along too.

We currently have enough fund to keep going at his pace for a few more weeks, but we fear that with the deepening crisis, the new price fixes and instability in the country, it will caused price to keep skyrocketing and cause us to fall short very soon.

This current crisis only gives us more reason to continue with our work. It is in these difficult times that we humbly and sincerely ask you for your support to continue delivering meals to those who cannot do it for themselves. Every bit counts.

Thank you, stay safe.

- eatBCH Team

eatBCH BCH address:

pp8skudq3x5hzw8ew7vzsw8tn4k8wxsqsv0lt0mf3g

eatBCH SLP tokens address:

simpleledger:qph4zflaqjp2czewgt39lnltnpjqw44qtvalpva44s

1https://www.lapatilla.com/2019/05/17/el-insolito-precio-de-una-gandola-de-gasolina-en-venezuela/

2https://lta.reuters.com/articulo/venezuela-gasolina-idLTAKCN2280J5-OUSLT

3https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14855