How Social Media Is Raising Cash To Fund The Protests Against The Venezuelan Government

Demonstrators clash with riot police while ralling against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas. REUTERS/Christian Veron

Bloomberg: Cash From America Is Crucial to Venezuela’s Protesters

* Expats pony up small sums for gas masks and radios at home
* Maduro government responds with crackdown on private couriers

Helmets and goggles come via private couriers or tucked in carry-on bags. Portable radios and gas masks are smuggled across the border or sent on charter planes.

The near-daily demonstrations that have rocked Venezuela for about two months are sustained by rivulets of material and money that coalesce into a stream of support. Crowd-funding websites like GoFundMe and Generosity are awash in campaigns for protesters -- some raising tens of thousands of dollars -- and Amazon wish lists of gear circulate on Twitter, Instagram and Whatsapp.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This support is a just a drop in the bucket .... and insignificant when compared to what the government has at its disposal. But in regards to helping morale for the protesters .... to know that they are not alone .... priceless.

Update: Over the years I have received a lot of email from Venezuelans praising me for covering their story .... venting to me on how furious they were on what was happening to their country under Chavez, and what is now happening under Maduro. But what gets them really upset .... and it has been told to me more than once .... is that amongst the deprivation that now exists in Venezuela .... the Venezuelan elites and top government officials are living an entirely different lifestyle .... Shaming 'Chavistas': Venezuela activists decry officials' luxury lifestyles (Reuters). When I did this post last year .... The Rich And The Powerful Still Live Well In Venezuela (June 17, 2016) .... one reader of this blog who wanted to be anonymous sent me pictures on how well these people live. Like I said .... they live in an entirely different world. On a bright note .... social media is now exposing all of this.