NEW YORK, NY May 17 (DPI) – For months now pundits have been predicting “imminent collapse” in Venezuela, an overused phrase that doesn’t quite capture what life is now like for ordinary people in the country of 30 million.  In fact, based on the latest press reports, the collapse has taken place – sick people are dying in hospitals for lack of medications, and the elderly who queue up for hours hoping to purchase scarce food are dying of heart attacks on the spot. Armed gangs rule sections of cities, and black market food is now the only reliable currency.

The New York Times yesterday posted a sad and compelling report on conditions in Venezuela, but one of the 500-plus reader comments seemed to capture, in heartbreaking fashion, the chaos and despair there. (And yes, verification of online comments is always nearly impossible, but some comments – especially the one below – carry a clear authenticity):

Sorry for my bad English but I need to say this: I live in Venezuela and this is hell on earth. There’s no food. No medicines. No electricity. There’s no free media, Its like the novel “1984”meets the walking dead.

In 2014 a lot a people were killed by the national guard in the protests againts the regime. They accuse the victims of being “terrorist”. After 4 months of daily protests nobody help us.We lost all hope.Worst of all: people adapts to horror very easily. I saw kids eating from garbage cans. I saw elderly people die of heart attacks on large queues for food, they just can’t resist 5 hours in a queue waiting for food, nobody helps them,they re just afraid of loose his turn to get some food.

There’s an epidemic of violence. Gangs are better armed than police. The military controls all the drug trade,the generals are the new druglords,diosdado cabello its the new Pablo escobar, They are worst than the worst Nazi criminals.This its military madness.What people in vzla is sufering its a war crime. A terrible famine its coming. cuban inteligence oficcers in army bases are giving orders to these criminals to control the food riots with guns, And nobody cares. Vzla doesn’t deserve this punishment. Where’s the UN? I guess I goin to die soon. I don’t know.I goin to figth again.In the streets. I going to protest again.Last time i almost die, the national guard shoot me,i run covered in blood. I escape.I don’t care if I die anymore. This is hell. I want to be free.