“El Entrepreneur vive en la sangre de Venezuela”

 

Being a Venezuelan, I admire what Orlando said to me regarding the history and people of our nation and what he details to me through his story. In this episode of “Learn from Leaders,” I sit down with my good friend Orlando Viera Blanco, he is the ambassador of Venezuela to Canada for President Guaidó. Orlando explained his story as a Venezuelan being of a Spanish immigrant family with a smart and hardworking father who served as a role model to him through life. In what he describes as a fundamental aspect of life, years before Venezuela sank into crisis, people had a drive and hope to work and achieve a good life. He and his friends at a young age were climbing on trees picking out orchids to sell to people for a couple of Bolivars, that type of story was common in Venezuelan youth and still is. He sees the current deterioration of that dream and hope by the government, which makes it impossible for people to get out from under or chase dreams. He continues to push and fight for our country’s people on the global stage to hopefully return some of the optimism and talent in Venezuela during his youth. Yet, admirably enough, even though he spends most of his career fighting for rights against a corrupt regime, Orlando preaches one thing above all else in his own life, forgiveness. As he eloquently recalled Shakespeare’s quote: 

“The quality of mercy is not straind. Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”