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

Juan Guaido speaks with members of the media after he said heavily-armed security officers penetrated his apartment building, threatening him with arrest on July 12.

Photographer: Manaure Quintero/Bloomberg
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Editor’s Note: There are few places as chaotic or dangerous as Venezuela. “Life in Caracas” is a series of short stories that seeks to capture the surreal quality of living in a land in total disarray.

I remember that night vividly. It was a struggle just to get there. Dozens of cars blocked the road around a community center of a middle-class area. People arrived on foot too, chatting energetically while hundreds stood waiting for the speaker -- opposition leader Juan Guaido -- as if for a rock star.