Life in Caracas - Bloomberg

Life in Caracas

Postcards From a Land in Total Disarray

Venezuelan Security Forces Attempt To Detain Opposition Leader Guaido

With Guaido Defeated and on the Run, Caracas Sinks Into Silence

Years after pushing for a change in government, people are ignoring politics to survive

June 14, 2021

June 14, 2021

In World’s Worst Covid Vaccine Line, You Wait Hours and Still Get Nothing

Elderly Venezuelans wake up in the middle of the night and rush into downtown Caracas to get in line.

Venezuelans Wait In Line For Hours To Receive Covid-19 Vaccine

May 4, 2021

May 4, 2021

Cigarette Vendors Are Currency Traders in Disguise in Caracas

Brands you’ve never heard of are excellent bolivar-laundering tools.

Cigarette Dealers Are The New Dollar Exchange In Caracas

October 4, 2020

October 4, 2020

The Underground Poker Clubs Are Booming in Caracas

They’re technically illegal and increasingly popular.

The Underground Poker Clubs Are Booming in Caracas

June 22, 2020

June 22, 2020

Trying to Fend Off Covid-19 in a Land That Has Run Out of Water

Of all the essentials, it is the most precious during the coronavirus pandemic.

As The Spectre Of Covid Looms, Venezuelans Are Still Without Water

June 1, 2020

June 1, 2020

All It Takes Is a $100 Bribe to Fill Your Car Up With Gas in Caracas

Lines start before midnight and break up well after dawn. Few make it to a pump.

All It Takes Is a $100 Bribe to Fill Your Car Up With Gas in Caracas

January 10, 2020

January 10, 2020

Everyone I Know Is Depressed and Medicated: Life in Caracas

Venezuelans are sharing feelings and pills and screaming into mirrors.

Everyone I Know Is Depressed and Medicated: Life in Caracas

January 3, 2020

January 3, 2020

Venezuela’s Latest Problem Is There Are Now Too Many Dollars

Businesses and consumers stash away semi-illicit greenbacks.

Venezuela’s Latest Problem Is There Are Now Too Many Dollars

December 6, 2019

December 6, 2019

Feeling Flush, Venezuelans Are Snapping Up $100 Christmas Trees

Stores are actually stocked with goods now that import and price controls have been loosened, just in time for el nino Jesus

In the middle of an economic crisis, Venezuelans still try to keep their holiday spirit alive by decorating their homes with whatever they can afford. But its bound to be a markedly unequal holiday season: with an increasing dollarized market, a set of li

September 13, 2019

September 13, 2019

Why I Pick Up Hitchhikers in One of the World’s Deadliest Cities

Even lawyers bum rides in Venezuela’s capital, where options other than walking are scarce.

With 90% of the country’s buses at a stop and recurrent blackouts that leave the city without subway service, citizens of Caracas struggle to get around. Many, particularly those who live in remote parts of the city have resolved to hitchhike —a pract

August 16, 2019

August 16, 2019

Surrounded by Tragedy, Venezuelans Are Laughing Like Crazy

Gallows humor when the daily grind is so difficult and the future so bleak that crying is the only other option.

Venezuela comedy

July 20, 2019

July 20, 2019

The Mangoes Are Ripe in Caracas. And All Gone.

People used to select the juiciest, and least dented, leaving the dregs behind. Now, they grab every last one.

The Mangoes Are Ripe In Caracas And All Gone

June 18, 2019

June 18, 2019

Venezuela Is Now Awash in U.S. Dollars

Greenbacks are keeping the country’s consumer economy afloat.

Venezuela Is Now Awash in U.S. Dollars

June 12, 2019

June 12, 2019

Caracas Is Suddenly Attracting a Migration Wave of Its Own

Caracas Is Suddenly Attracting a Migration Wave of Its Own

May 17, 2019

May 17, 2019

Dating in Caracas Is Crazy, Infuriating and a Little Scary

Looking for love when it seems like everyone is leaving.

Tear Gas And Condom Shortages: Dating In Chaotic Caracas

February 28, 2019

February 28, 2019

Hottest Joke in Venezuela: Shout ‘Maduro’ and Watch the Eruption

Signs emerge that people are losing their fear of a regime that they believe has its days numbered.

Venezuelans Protest As Maduro Rules Out Fresh Elections

January 23, 2019

January 23, 2019

What’s Worse: Torture or Starvation? Venezuelans to Answer Today

Venezuela Detains Rebel Guardsmen Sparking Protests In Caracas

December 10, 2018

December 10, 2018

Gaunt, Filthy and Scared, Kids Roam Streets of Caracas in Packs

“Street children” have long been a concern in the country, but there has never been as many.

STREET CHILDREN

November 27, 2018

November 27, 2018

Venezuela’s Bribing Menu Brings Transparency to Corruption

You have to know someone who knows someone who can connect you so you can make a deal.

Street Vendors Sell Portioned Grocery Items As Food Inflation Rises

October 31, 2018

October 31, 2018

Venezuela’s Hard-Partying Beaches Are Now Deserted and Filthy

Just 45 minutes from Caracas, the beach town vibes of La Guaira have been ruined by the country’s economic nightmare.

La Guaira, once a popular weekend destination for citizens in Caracas, is collapsing along with the country. The beaches are lonely, dirty and lifeless. Businesses are closing and local tourism is at an all-time low. The place that used to be an escape fr

September 17, 2018

September 17, 2018

Living Through a Historic Venezuelan Exodus

Everyone’s leaving, making life harder for those left behind. Somber hugs and handshakes, or sometimes no farewells at all.

Living Through a Historic Venezuelan Exodus

August 27, 2018

August 27, 2018

Life Without Water: Sweaty, Smelly, and Furious in Caracas

This has to be the most egalitarian disaster the socialist government has managed to engineer yet.

Aura Sarmiento boils her water twice every day for at least 15 minutes each time. She has to do it in the morning, so she can brush her teeth and cook breakfast.

August 10, 2018

August 10, 2018

Hyperinflation Left Me Broke in Caracas

It’s banking madness in Venezuela, where something as simple as a fast-food meal can cost 20 million bolivars.

Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) Take Control Of Local Markets

July 16, 2018

July 16, 2018

Where a Bottle of Whisky Costs 16 Years of Wages

Venezuelans give up a symbol of their national identity and turn to local rum.

Where a Bottle of Whisky Costs 16 Years of Wages

June 29, 2018

June 29, 2018

Invasion of the Macaws

No one really knows where they all came from, but Caracas is now teeming with exotic birds.

VENEZUELA MACAWS

June 15, 2018

June 15, 2018

Venezuelan Grave Robbers Are Closing In on My Family

They sneak into the cemetery in the dead of night to snatch the bronze plaques from tombstones.

Venezuelan Grave Robbers Are Closing In on My Family

May 31, 2018

May 31, 2018

There’s No Traffic or Road Rage and It’s Awful: Life in Caracas

Noisy, smoggy commutes used to grind the city to a halt. Now, that daily headache would be a sign of better times.

VENEZUELA ELECTION

May 25, 2018

May 25, 2018

There’s a Crypto-Mining Machine in Every Home in Caracas

The craze is the result of hyperinflation mixed with free electricity.

The skyline of Caracas.

May 4, 2018

May 4, 2018

In Venezuela, a Haircut Costs 5 Bananas and 2 Eggs

Making do in a crumbling economy by trading goods and services.

A street vendor sells bagged portions of sugar, salt and beans at a stand in the Petare slum of Caracas, on April 14, 2018.

April 11, 2018

April 11, 2018

In Caracas, Sick Humans Are Resorting to Dog Medicine

Pharmacy shelves are bare, and black-market prices are sky-high. People are turning to antibiotics for pets.

Residents protest the lack of medicine in Caracas, on April 9, 2018.

March 27, 2018

March 27, 2018

One Venezuelan Actually Chose to Come Back Home

Inflation’s crazy, crime’s horrible, but Caracas mostly just feels empty.

Patricia Laya with her grandmother in Caracas, on March 23.

March 14, 2018

March 14, 2018

Venezuela’s Hyperinflation Is Breaking Deli Scales

The price of a kilogram of ham is just too long.

Tired of Counting Piles of Cash, Venezuelans Start Weighing Them

March 2, 2018

March 2, 2018

Venezuelans Are Paying a 100% Premium for Cash

It’s yet another frustration of living in an imploding economy.

Venezuela Bank Notes

February 5, 2018

February 5, 2018

Leave Right Now or Arm Yourself to the Teeth: Life in Caracas

A twist of the radio dial reveals a grim reality.

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December 15, 2016

December 15, 2016

Tracking Inflation in Venezuela, One Cup of Coffee at a Time

The price of a café con leche serves as a unique inflation gauge.

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