A Success Guide to General Strikes (Paros) in South America

Drawing on our team's extensive experience preparing for and navigating general strikes and periods of civil unrest in Venezuela and Ecuador, we've compiled this practical guide. Our goal is not to create alarm, but to empower you with a proactive, preventative mindset. With the right preparation, you can stay calm, resourceful, and at least one step ahead of the circumstances.

The foundation of navigating a paro is ensuring you and your household have everything you need for an extended period. The goal is to minimize, or even eliminate, the need to leave your home during moments of uncertainty.

• Create a Master List: Start by making a detailed, printed list of all daily necessities for yourself and everyone in your household. This is especially critical if anyone requires specific medications, supplements, or has a strict diet. Printing the list is key—it's a reliable backup if digital access is compromised. Remember, during a strike, a trip to a store just five blocks away could become a difficult and unpredictable journey, as many local businesses may close their doors or operate on an erratic schedule.

• Strategically Stockpile: Once your list is complete, start accumulating non-perishable items that have a long shelf life. Focus on top priorities like canned goods, dried beans, rice, pasta, and UHT milk. The idea is to plan your trips so you can get everything you need in one single outing, not multiple small trips throughout the week.

• Secure Your Energy: While Cuenca's water supply is generally reliable, having a supply of high-quality bottled drinking water is always a good idea. Consider investing in your own water storage tank, whether it's a 5-gallon jug or a larger 100-gallon system, to have a personal reservoir for other uses. Furthermore, make sure your gas cylinders are full. A good rule of thumb is at least one medium-sized cylinder for every two people in a household for an estimated four weeks of regular use (cooking and short daily showers).

• Cash is King: During a paro, access to ATMs can become a distant dream for days. Have a sufficient amount of physical cash on hand, stored in a secure location in your home. If you are wary of holding cash, explore and prepare alternative digital payment solutions in advance, and make sure your trusted contacts are familiar with them.

• Prepare an Alternative Power Source: Power outages can be a common occurrence during civil unrest. At the very least, have a significantly-sized power bank to keep your phone charged. For greater peace of mind, consider a larger battery system with solar panels or even a gas generator. An alternative power source ensures you can stay connected and keep essential devices running.

Individual self-sufficiency is a strong start, but it's not a substitute for a robust community. Working together can make everyone safer and better prepared.

• Form a Trusted Group: Ask a local friend, whose judgment and cleverness you trust, if they belong to a community support group. If not, consider forming one together with others. This group should have the specific purpose of providing mutual support during times of civil unrest. You can use known communication apps or leverage platforms like the HUBiteers group.

• Exchange Needs and Resources: Within your support group, identify what each person has a hard time acquiring or what they use up quickly. Then, contrast that with what others in the group can easily acquire. For example, if you have plenty of rice but a friend has a steady supply of fresh eggs, you can help each other out. This reciprocal economy makes the whole community more resilient.

• Establish Internal Language: For security and clarity, create codewords and internal security language with your group. This ensures that sensitive information—like a planned trip to get supplies—isn't accidentally shared in a public channel. Keep it practical and functional, prioritizing safety over cleverness.

• Plan an Emergency Shelter: Find out if you have a trusted friend with a safe place to stay in case things become especially heated in your area. This is highly recommended if you live just a few blocks away from a town hall, city council, or governor's office, as these are common flashpoints for demonstrations.

While it's important to be prepared, it's just as crucial to be mindful of your actions and surroundings.

• Exercise Discretion: Be extremely careful about who you share information with regarding your preparations. While it's tempting to talk about what you've bought or stored, it's a security risk. Limit this information to your immediate family and your trusted support group.

• Stay Out of Trouble: Stay up to date on events, but do not go out on official "mobilization dates." Avoid important government buildings and areas known for protests unless absolutely necessary. Do not approach a group of masked individuals, no matter what flags or banners they carry. During these times, your "radar" for potential threats has to be much more sensitive and calibrated than normal.

• Find Productive Activities: A strike can be a time of great stress, but it doesn't have to be a time of idleness. Fill your time with productive things you can do indoors, like reading, learning a new skill online, or tackling household projects. Stay active and engaged, and use the time to your advantage.

Your decisions during a paro can have a ripple effect on your community. By being mindful of your spending, you can help others and yourself.

• Support Local Businesses: Your trusted service providers and favorite local business owners will be in a tight spot. Continue to support them for as long as you can afford to, as this helps keep the local economy running.

• Make Purposeful Purchases: When you do need to go out, try to make each trip count. Instead of buying one or two items, aim to buy a month's supply of each item on your list. This reduces your exposure and supports the business in a more significant way.

• Value Your Time: Be mindful of how you spend your time outside. Your goal is to be as efficient as possible. The less time you spend in public, the safer you will be.

These suggestions can help you go through tough situations such as the one looming about this September 2025 in Ecuador, and Cuenca.

Make the most of them, and may they help you greatly.