How did I get the call to do “El Camino”?. I learned about “El Camino” back in 2013 and started to research it. While on a vacation in Bordeaux in 2015, I heard from our tour guide that her father did portions of El Camino every year after he retired. At that moment, I made El Camino my purpose to challenge myself physically, to learn about this ancient pilgrimage and to use my journey to address what is happening in Venezuela and raise understanding of the catastrophe that Venezuelan are facing and to offer a road map for the future.
My name is Ennodio Ramos. I was born and raised in Venezuela, but the Venezuela of the “7 stars”. I was born in 1955, during the ten years of military dictatorship from 1948 to 1958, led by Perez Jimenez.
I grew up in a Venezuela that was happy and full of hope and prosperity. I saw my extended family coming from a barrio in Puerto la Cruz to reach a low middle class level through hard work and dedication.
I attended public schools and University achieving a degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad de los Andes in Merida- Venezuela. I was the first one in my family to achieve a College Degree. Afterward, my cousins, nephews and other members of the family obtained college degrees. It seemed that the sky was the limit.
My first job was as a professor at my University. I then went to work for Lagoven Oil company (a filial of PDVSA).
In 1985, I came to the US for a new job and to marry my wife, Paula. When I came to the US, I left a prosperous Venezuela. Yes, there were political and governmental corruption, however, people were living well, with high level of education and an Oil Industry that was efficient and very profitable.
In December 6 1998, Hugo Chavez won the election, promising to seek “third way” between socialism and capitalism. Venezuela was ready for this. Hours after being sworn in, decree referendum on whether to rewrite constitution. On April 25, 1999 — Venezuelans overwhelmingly approve Chavez’s proposal to draft a new constitution. July 25, 1999 — Allies of Chavez win 122 of 128 seats in constitutional assembly, allowing them to draft a document tailored to his wishes. The power went to his head and he forgot the promise to eliminate corruption and invest on the country and its people. Since then to today, Venezuela under “President” Maduro has seen authoritarian ruling that takes away the rule of law and people rights.
Venezuela is in a deep downward spiral and people have no food or medicine. Inflation exceeds 2000% annually and the youth and talent of Venezuela is migrating to other countries.
Why did I said the Venezuela of the 7 stars? because the Venezuelan flag that I grew up with had 7 stars, but Chavez also changed it and added another star, why, because he wanted, changing Venezuelan history.
I came to the US and achieved the American dream with the education and values that I received in Venezuela. I was able to provide for my family and ensure everyone had an education. I have traveled about 80 times around the world and I was always proud to share my heritage, However, today, I feel sadness for my Venezuelan people, and anger for what the current anarchy is doing to Venezuela.
I would like to quote the greatest of Venezuelan writers at the time (and for a long time after that) Arturo Uslar Pietri. He had a famous phrase: “Sow the oil” (“Sembrar el petroleo” in Spanish), which became a national slogan meaning that the state’s oil income should be productively invested. But in Venezuela “sowing the oil” implied creating bureaucracy and corruption and the country missed the message of this great man and the country, its people are paying for it today.
I created this blog for three reasons, increase awareness of what is happening in Venezuela, share ideas of actions that Venezuela should follow after the current “dictatorship” is removed and my pilgrimage for 500 miles (800 Km) in El Camino Santiago (the French way).
Ennodio’s Adventures 