Twenty years ago, the Northern Venezuelan coast suffered one of the worst disasters in the country’s history. But we’ll never know how many people we lost.
Daily Briefing
Lunch Break: The AN Will Look Real Close at the CLAP...
Rufo Chacón recovers part of his sight; The National Assembly promises to look deep into the the whole CLAP corruption scheme; According to Bloomberg, there are more dollars flowing in Venezuelan streets than there are bolivars.
It’s So Hard to Be a Feminist in Venezuela
The answer to Chilean performance “A Rapist in Your Way” (Un violador en tu camino) reaches Caracas in two different demonstrations, divided by politics and united by results: mockery and dogmas against a necessary message
Cucuta: Venezuela’s Currency Exchange
How do remittances get to Venezuela? Where does the cash come from? Why are Venezuelan businesses wary to accept worn dollars? This is an in-depth dive into the border’s most profitable business.
Time Machine: Argentina and Venezuela, 1947
One old, simple issue of Time magazine documented the rise of two parallel political processes that are still making the news. Peronism is in power again, and Venezuelans are still waiting for the rights the 1947 Constitution was trying to enforce.
How Foreign STEM Professionals Developed Venezuelan Science
When Venezuela was considered a land of opportunities, some immigrants were university graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics who spread ideas and developed institutions that are very much alive today, all over the world.
Left Behind & Killed
Working as a researcher for the non-profit organization Caracas Mi Convive, I became familiar with the most painful of stories: children murdered within families unraveled by migration and hunger
What Is Happening in Venezuela’s Protected Capital?
Are things better in Caracas? New business has sprouted, traffic jams are back, people are getting ready for Christmas, and no one talks about politics. Here’s a stab at understanding what’s going on.
Previous Posts
Notes From The Venezuelan Black Friday Battlefront
Cash dollars made possible an illusion of recovery in the capital of the world’s worst-performing economy. Here’s how things looked in the Sambil mall
Chaotic Luxuries: Living with a De Facto Dollarization
With the vibe of “things improving in Caracas” comes a lot of chaos in a society that dollarized its trade based on trust, which is frankly a mess.
A Piece of the Venezuela You Love
We are re-launching our Cinco8 + Caracas Chronicles store: new design, new products, all related to the nation we keep deep inside.
A Witch Hunter in Cambridge
A stellar group of Venezuelan scientists are demanding University of Cambridge revoke a year-long fellowship from a former IVIC director with a witch-hunting past.
Yellow Fever Joins the Emergency
Fourteen years after the last outbreak, this disease is raising alarms about the possibility of a new epidemic. But to be honest, the really surprising part is that it took it that long.
How Dollars Make It Into Venezuela
Spontaneous dollarization seems to have taken over Venezuela. Even Maduro admitted it represents an “oxygen valve.” Two experts describe the different sources of cash dollars.
Mexico, the Tailor-Made Border
The number of Venezuelans mistreated and deported from Mexico has increased. The reason: AMLO’s government is doing Donald Trump a favor, stopping migrants way before the Río Grande.
Are Venezuelans Leaning Right?
On Venezuelan social media, Vox and Trump’s conservative policies are catching on. But testimonies and surveys on the actual street say otherwise.
Never Say the Night Is Slow
The Highway Angels have been offering first aid in 220 kms of Caracas highways for over six years now. We spent the night with this paramedic crew, and witnessed their passion and dedication up close.
The Dawn of Venezuelan Horror Films
For the first time ever, movie theaters in the country, used to playing real-life dramas, crime stories and inane comedies, are showing horror films produced in Venezuela. And the reason lies in our collective anxieties.
Of Course Bolivia Is Not Venezuela
Evo Morales, a close ally of Chávez and Maduro, resigned on November 10th, after the OAS issued a report invalidating the election he claimed he had won. That doesn’t mean we should draw false equivalences.
Brazil, the Other Border
The sixth country in South America taking in Venezuelans is a lot more organized for this emergency. But most of these immigrants are in passing, and 171 thousand dilute among 210 million inhabitants.
The ILO Isn’t Satisfied with the “Blue-collar President”
In one of the most in-depth investigations in its hundred years of history, the International Labour Organization wrote a report on the systematic abuse that Venezuelan workers endure from “the blue-collar government”.
Venezuelans Wither Away in American Migration Centers
Little attention is being paid to those requesting asylum in the U.S. or overstaying their visas. They’re held for months and their loved ones barely get any news about their wellbeing.
Trump’s Impeachment: Status and How It Could Affect Us
U.S. foreign policy could change if President Trump is removed from office, but how likely is it that he’ll be impeached? How could American foreign policy on Venezuela change?
Mega-Gangs: A Closer Look
Venezuela’s modern criminality can’t be explained without analyzing these criminal armies, which are better armed than police forces and have complete control over their territories.
My Red Education
Over ten years ago, while I was in high school, chavismo tried to turn me into a soldier. I ended up as an exiled writer, but many of my classmates did heed the call.
Rain & Tamarindo Juice
In Maracaibo, if you get any water, it’s most likely brown and you’d be lucky: most people have to buy their water or wait for rain.
Surviving The Adobecalypse
After the Adobe scare, the Venezuelan digital community keeps working under extremely hostile conditions, in unpredictable ground.
The Slow Death of Zulian Cuisine
The shortage of ingredients, hyperinflation and forced migration has put this unique Venezuelan cuisine in danger.
Jail and Comedy In El Paso, Texas
We already know that the Venezuelan comedian just spent two months in jail. What we don’t know is the story of what happened in there. Here it is.
How to Destroy Healthcare: The Case of Margarita Island
If you’re waging war against your own people and just want to hold on to power while the poor die or leave, follow these easy steps the Maduro regime applied in one of Venezuela’s favorite vacation spots.
Trouble in the Lima Group
In 2017, 12 countries of the Americas forged an alliance to help restore democracy in Venezuela. Now, the more influential members of the club face challenges that could alter their stance towards our country.
A New NGO Wants to Challenge Our Crisis
RedRETO wants to tackle some of Venezuelans’ most urgent problems, by joining forces with other entities on the ground and abroad. You can help them—and 254 other people—on their first project.
John Carlin’s Dream
The British journalist who wrote the book that inspired the movie Invictus was rejected at the airport by the Venezuelan regime. What if he had been allowed his entry and we’d talk about sports and reconciliation?
Perijá, the Other Frontier of Discrimination
A new tragedy adds to the historic drama and vulnerability of the Yukpa and Barí indigenous communities, in the mountains of Zulia.
Voices from Inside Sebin
A documentary made by NGO 14 Lawyers exposes the repressive dynamics of the regime’s political police, its gruesome practices, harassment of human rights lawyers and even pride for being so cruel
The ‘Great Solution for Caracas’ Became a Huge Problem
The Caracas Metro is in a state of technical shutdown: it can’t satisfy the most basic needs of its users. How ruined is what once was our capital’s pride?
The Heir to La Sabana’s Glory
Ronald Acuña Jr. comes from a village that already birthed seven Major League players. Now, the unusually versatile National League’s Rookie of the Year in 2018 is about to conquer a huge feat
The Revolution Annihilated Oil Workers
Layoffs due to political persecution, mass resignation and retirement, terrible working conditions. The human dimension of this industry helps us understand why oil production has plummeted.
