The British government has announced a £50 million emergency aid package for Venezuela, as the country sinks deeper into crisis. The money will go towards food, medicine, and shelter for the millions of Venezuelans who have fled the country or are trapped in poverty at home.
For the people of Caracas, this is not a story of geopolitics. It is a story of survival. Mothers skipping meals so their children can eat. Workers walking miles because there is no petrol for buses. Hospitals turning away patients because they have no antibiotics. The UK aid is a lifeline, but it will not solve the underlying rot.
Venezuela was once the richest country in Latin America. Now it is a cautionary tale of what happens when a government stops caring about the real economy. Hyperinflation has wiped out savings. The minimum wage buys a loaf of bread and little else. The ruling elite hoard power and wealth while the people starve.
This is not charity. It is a moral responsibility. The UK has a duty to help those in need, but it must also ask why the international community let this happen for so long. Sanctions and isolation only hurt the poor, not the politicians. Aid is welcome, but it is a sticking plaster on a wound that needs surgery.
The true test will be what happens next. Will Venezuela rebuild a fair economy that works for all its people? Or will the aid disappear into the pockets of the corrupt? The UK must ensure every pound is tracked and accounted for. The working class of Venezuela deserve transparency, not empty promises.
As a reporter who has seen the impact of austerity in the North of England, I know what it is like to be forgotten by those in power. But what is happening in Venezuela is on another scale entirely. This is an emergency. And emergencies require urgent, sustained action.
