Above Image: The outside of my grandmother's gated house in Caracas, Venezuela. The last time I visited was in December 2012.
Background
Venezuela has always held a special place in my heart. It's where I was born, where most of my family lives, and where I hold my most cherished memories. My parents made the bold and wise decision to move to the United States in 2003. They no longer felt safe living in a country where crime cannot be escaped. My parents left behind the only lives they had ever known, all of their beloved family, and their beautiful country to provide a more hopeful future for their children. At the time my brother Rafael was seven, my brother Juan was five, and I was just an eighteen-month-old infant. The situation only escalated since we left the country, but I still have family living there. With all of these vivid and warm memories of Venezuela coursing through my head, I knew this was the country I wanted to further investigate. I wanted to uncover all of the issues plaguing Venezuela.
My siblings and I, just a few months before moving to Raleigh.
Research Process
As with any process, there were bumps along the way. I initially expected the main issues to stem solely from hyperinflation. After doing some research, it became apparent that there are many causes to the catastrophe in Venezuela. The initial research process was not too difficult since many current articles from reliable sources were available. The biggest challenge of my process was organizing my paper in a clear, reasonable way without being too compartmentalized. I decided to narrow down all of the issues into three categories: hyperinflation, extreme socialism, and corruption. One of the most surprising things I encountered on my research was how policies determined by the government transformed the lives of Venezuelans. I never anticipated the effect to be so dramatic. Additionally, incorporating synthesis in the essay became a great challenge. I managed to have most paragraphs draw information from multiple sources, but one source was often favored. After many hours of stressful editing and receiving comments from peers, I finally ended the journey of the dreaded research paper. Nevertheless, I was glad to be given the opportunity to learn more about my native country.