I escaped Venezuela for North America. Here’s how.
At the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas, my wife, 8-month-old daughter and I stopped to take photos of our feet. We were standing over a colorful, geometric mosaic made by the famous artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, a symbol of the modern and cosmopolitan Venezuela we loved and the Venezuela that Hugo Chávez and his followers have tried to destroy. By Rafael Osío Cabrices July 2, The Washington Post Rafael Osío Cabrices is a journalist with 20 years of experience writing about Venezuela, Cuba, and Latin America. He is the author of four books. This has become a ritual among those leaving Venezuela. That day, my family walked onto an American Airlines flight with four bags of luggage and three things that were exceedingly precious in our home country: airplane tickets, an invitation to stay with my sister in Florida, and hope. Until the moment the plane took off, we feared we might be in clear and present danger. We spent the last month seeking refuge in a...