The German village in Venezuela and the country's political crisis
- 7 years ago
On the Venezuelan coastal mountains, Colonia Tovar gives you a hint of the Alps.
Nicknamed “The Germany of the Carribean”, the town was founded in 1843 by German immigrants. At the time, residents of the Kaiserstuhl region who were invited by Venezuelan authorities in an effort to develop its agriculture.
8. Colonia Tovar: ciudad ubicada en el estado Aragua. Fue fundada por inmigrantes alemanes en 1843 y por eso se mantiene dicha cultura. pic.twitter.com/StnmMXdeor— Dubra. (@Skaxcz) October 12, 2017
With the arrival of the German immigrants, it is no surprise that it was in Colonia Tovar that Venezuela’s first craft beer was brewed. The German identity left strong marks in the town’s architecture, economy, culture, language and gastronomy.
Colonia Tovar has been isolated from the rest of the country for decades.
However, today, its 20,000 residents are living through the same political crisis as all of Venezuela.
“Venezuela had always a good reputation, where you could work, you could discover, you could do a lot of things”, said Maria, a local resident of German origin.
Her daughter, Ingrid, also regrets the current situation.
“I want Venezuela to be as it was 20 years ago. The Venezuela today is not the Venezuela we know. The government wants to force something upon us, which nobody wants.
“We want democracy, the way it used to be. “
Despite the problems in Venezuela, when asked whether they would move to Germany, mother and daughter agreed that there is no place like home.
“In the current situation, we have thought about it. But Venezuela is our home.”
Nicknamed “The Germany of the Carribean”, the town was founded in 1843 by German immigrants. At the time, residents of the Kaiserstuhl region who were invited by Venezuelan authorities in an effort to develop its agriculture.
8. Colonia Tovar: ciudad ubicada en el estado Aragua. Fue fundada por inmigrantes alemanes en 1843 y por eso se mantiene dicha cultura. pic.twitter.com/StnmMXdeor— Dubra. (@Skaxcz) October 12, 2017
With the arrival of the German immigrants, it is no surprise that it was in Colonia Tovar that Venezuela’s first craft beer was brewed. The German identity left strong marks in the town’s architecture, economy, culture, language and gastronomy.
Colonia Tovar has been isolated from the rest of the country for decades.
However, today, its 20,000 residents are living through the same political crisis as all of Venezuela.
“Venezuela had always a good reputation, where you could work, you could discover, you could do a lot of things”, said Maria, a local resident of German origin.
Her daughter, Ingrid, also regrets the current situation.
“I want Venezuela to be as it was 20 years ago. The Venezuela today is not the Venezuela we know. The government wants to force something upon us, which nobody wants.
“We want democracy, the way it used to be. “
Despite the problems in Venezuela, when asked whether they would move to Germany, mother and daughter agreed that there is no place like home.
“In the current situation, we have thought about it. But Venezuela is our home.”