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本文由律咖网社群读者 XuanWu 投稿分享。
为了方便大家阅读，律咖网编辑 JingJing（微信：lvga2015）对原文进行了细致的逻辑润色与合规性整理。希望能给正在 委内瑞拉 创业路上的你带来真实的参考。

I never thought I’d be writing this from a hotel room in Puerto La Cruz, surrounded by half-packed suitcases and a broken车载垃圾桶 (car trash bin) prototype I still haven’t shipped.

I’m XuanWu — 35, from Hunan, studied Spanish in Harbin, and now I’m trying to sell car trash bins to Latin America. My first real order came in last week. It was from a small auto shop in Puerto La Cruz. I was thrilled. Until the earthquake hit.

On June 24, two powerful tremors shook northern Venezuela. The buildings in La Guaira collapsed. Hospitals were damaged. Over 1,400 people died. I was in my hotel room when the lights went out. For three hours, I didn’t know if my supplier was alive.

Turns out, he was. But his shop? Gone. The truck that was supposed to carry my bins? Crushed. And now, I had to figure out: do I get my deposit back? How? Where do I even start?

This isn’t about law firms or fancy lawyers. This is about what happens when your business dream collides with a country in recovery.

The “Court Filing” That Wasn’t

I thought: okay, I need to file a civil claim. Simple, right? I’ve seen American TV shows. You go to court, you get a judge, you get justice.

In Puerto La Cruz, after the quake? Not even close.

I walked into the local courthouse on June 26. The building had a cracked facade. Inside, three clerks were working under a single fluorescent light. No air conditioning. No computers. Just paper files, dusty and stacked in cardboard boxes.

I asked: “¿Dónde puedo presentar una demanda civil por daños a la propiedad?”
(Where can I file a civil claim for property damage?)

One clerk looked at me, then at her colleague. They whispered in Spanish. Then one said, “No tenemos formulario para extranjeros. Vaya a la Secretaría de Justicia. Pero no sé si están abiertos.”

(I don’t have a form for foreigners. Go to the Justice Secretariat. But I don’t know if they’re open.)

I didn’t even know there was a “Secretaría de Justicia.” I had to ask three people on the street before someone finally pointed me to a building two blocks away — a government office with no sign, no queue, and no one who spoke English.

I showed them my contract. My invoice. My PayPal receipt. They looked at it. Nodded. Said nothing. Then one guy handed me a folded piece of paper with a phone number and wrote: “Llama a la Defensoría del Pueblo.”

Call the Ombudsman’s Office.

That’s it.

No case number. No deadline. No timeline.

The Hidden Variable: Time Is the Real Cost

I’ve spent 14 days in Venezuela since the quake. I’ve made 17 phone calls. I’ve been redirected three times. I’ve been told to “wait,” “come back next week,” and “try the consulate.”

I thought I was here to sell trash bins.

Turns out, I’m here to learn how to navigate a system where the rules are whispered, not written.

I thought I was losing money on my product.

I’m actually losing time — and sleep. I’ve been sleeping 4 hours a night, checking WhatsApp for updates from my supplier, refreshing the news, trying to figure out if the Ombudsman’s office is even real.

I thought this was a business problem.

It’s a human problem.

I keep thinking about the 11-year-old boy in Ansa’s report who was pulled alive from rubble after 72 hours. He was found because people kept digging. Not because there was a system. Because people cared.

That’s the difference here. Systems are broken. But people? People still show up.

What I Learned — Not What I Was Told

I’m not here to tell you how to file a lawsuit in Venezuela. I don’t know how. And no one I talked to could give me a clear path.

But here’s what I did learn:

  1. Don’t expect forms. Expect conversations.
    The “court filing” process isn’t about documents — it’s about who you know, who you ask, and how many times you show up.

  2. The Ombudsman’s Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) is your real first stop.
    It’s not a court. It’s not a lawyer. But in post-quake Venezuela, it’s the only institution that still answers calls. I called them. They didn’t solve my problem. But they gave me a name: a local paralegal who helps small foreign traders. I’m meeting him tomorrow.

  3. Your Chinese ID won’t help. Your patience will.
    I showed my passport, my business license, my Chinese tax number. Nobody cared. But when I said, “I’m just trying to recover a small deposit to feed my family back home,” people listened.

  4. The internet is useless here.
    Google searches for “how to file a lawsuit in Puerto La Cruz” led me to dead links. The official government portal? Unreachable. The only working info came from people on the street.

I made a mistake. I thought I could “do it myself.” I thought I could read a law blog and be ready.

I was wrong.

I’m not a lawyer. I’m a guy who sells trash bins. And in places like this, you don’t need to be an expert. You need to be persistent. And humble.

FAQ: What You Can Actually Do Right Now

Q1: If I need to file a small claim in Puerto La Cruz after a natural disaster, where do I start?

  • Step 1: Go to the local courthouse. Ask for “Defensoría del Pueblo.”
  • Step 2: If they don’t have a form, ask for a local paralegal or asistente jurídico — many work informally out of community centers.
  • Step 3: Bring all documents in Spanish: contract, invoice, ID, proof of payment.
  • Step 4: Be ready to return multiple times. No appointment system exists.
  • Key Points: No English support. No online portal. No guarantees. But people still help if you’re respectful.

Q2: Can I get help from the Chinese Consulate?

  • The consulate can help with emergencies — like medical care or repatriation.
  • But they cannot assist with civil disputes, contracts, or court filings.
  • I called the consulate in Caracas. They told me: “We can provide a list of local translators. That’s all.”
  • Don’t wait for them to solve your business problem. They’re stretched thin.

Q3: Are there any professional legal services recommended for foreigners?

  • There are firms in Caracas that work with expats. But after the quake, many have closed or moved.
  • One name kept coming up: Gabinete Jurídico Alba. I haven’t contacted them yet — but the local vendor who helped me said, “They’re expensive, but they don’t lie.”
  • Again: no guarantees. No promises. Just a name.
  • Always ask: “¿Cuánto cobra por una consulta inicial?” — and get it in writing.

Final Thoughts — From One Entrepreneur to Another

I used to think success meant scaling fast. Moving units. Hitting targets.

Now I know: success in places like Venezuela means showing up. Again. And again. With no guarantee.

I still have my bins. My supplier is alive. We’re rebuilding his shop — slowly. We’re talking about a new shipment. Maybe next month.

I’m not sure if I’ll get my deposit back.

But I know this: I didn’t give up.

And I didn’t pretend I knew the rules.

I asked.

I listened.

I kept showing up.

If you’re thinking of doing business here — or anywhere where systems are shaky — don’t look for a shortcut.

Look for a person.

And if you’re reading this, and you’ve been in a similar spot — in Indonesia, in Nigeria, in Cambodia — I’d love to hear your story.

JingJing from 律咖网 has helped me sort through some of these messy details before. She doesn’t offer services. She doesn’t promise results. But she listens. And she shares what she knows.

If you’re stuck on something in Venezuela — court filings, residency, local contracts — maybe we can talk.

You can find her on WeChat: lvga2015.

No sales pitch. No pressure. Just two people trying to make sense of a complicated world.

🔸 延伸阅读

🔹 Venezuela quake: Race against time as rescuers battle rubble to find survivors; death toll tops 1400 🗞️ 来源: Times of India – 📅 2026-06-28
🔗 阅读原文

🔹 Sisma in Venezuela, 11enne ritrovato vivo dopo tre giorni 🗞️ 来源: ANSA – 📅 2026-06-28
🔗 阅读原文

🔹 VÍDEO: Aumentan a nueve los españoles fallecidos en los terremotos de Venezuela 🗞️ 来源: Infobae – 📅 2026-06-28
🔗 阅读原文

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