We already existed approximately more than 7,000 years ago in other Latin American countries such as Mexico and El Salvador. Here in Venezuela the natives' main crops were corn and cacao and at that time, we were one of the basic products before the white Spanish arrived. At the start, they did not bear us in mind, and we were even unpleasant for them but in time they tried us and we were novel, smooth, nutritious and exquisite, and from that moment on they took us to other countries such as in the African continent.
Venezuela
Chacao
Hello, my name is Maicao, and do you know why? Because my face represents corn and cacao.
It was a very big boom, until we were known internationally. This is exciting! cacao and me travelling around the world. Industries, factories for making the best chocolate bars, chocolates, cornmeal rolls, and tortillas were created, and on realising this we said: Oh...no..! What is going on? Why is the city not the same as before? What are the humans doing? The industries are no longer dedicated to cacao and corn, they are now textile industries, car factories, and furniture and paper factories, No...no!
With tears in my eyes I say. What a big challenge we are facing! And let us remember those challenges, in the XV century when the natives treated us with so much affection in the middle of singing, dancing and bonfires that together with them that Venezuela emerged with beautiful rives, seas, forests, mountains, marine species, plants and animals without type of extinction or contamination.
Now in 2007, I am sad to see the mountains burn, the lakes, seas and rivers without clarity due to the pollution, animal species dying and attacked by man, nor do I see the stars because the pollution caused by the cars does not let me see the blue sky. If humans were to realise this and become aware of taking care of and protecting the planet, this impact would be avoided and we plants would live more happily on extracting from the clean and fertile soil all its properties and so be able to get water, air, rain and the sun with no type of pollution.
And in the name of all your and my and everybody's natural world, we say: Enough is enough, we must take care of it and protect it because what is happening to it is already happening to you. Those the humblest and simplest words from this cacao fruit and a corncob who have already lived for many years and who want to live without pollution as we did more than 500 years ago.