Photos: Venezuelans find avenues for joy amid national chaos

A night at a bar is interrupted by a power outage, going to a baseball game is prohibitively expensive, and a trip to a nearby beach requires months of savings. But many Venezuelans have not given up on finding ways to smile. Despite an economic crisis that has led to shortages of food and medicine and has prompted more than three million to emigrate, Venezuelans are seeking ways to have fun and spend time with family in the hope of easing their discomfort.

Updated on: Apr 25, 2019 11:45 AM IST

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Victor floats in the sea as he spends a day at Coral beach, La Guaira, near Caracas, Venezuela, March 23, 2019. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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Children at Coral beach in La Guaira near Caracas. "A person who has a minimum wage can't come [to the beach]. The anguish that has all Venezuelans is food. First the flour and the rice." said Carla Cordova. The increased frequency of blackouts and a political showdown between the government and opposition has cast a cloud of uncertainty, leaving many Venezuelans bereft of simple pleasures. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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Belinda, a former teacher, laughs after taking a photograph of graffiti which reads ‘Normality is a privilege?’ in Caracas. Venezuela fell to the 108th place in the 2019 World Happiness Report prepared by the United Nations, down from 102nd place in 2018. In the Western hemisphere, only Haiti was below . The happiness report in its first edition in 2012 placed Venezuela 19th. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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A child climbs on a bike to see an amusement park with an illuminated ferris wheel in Caracas. Venezuela was plunged into darkness with two massive blackouts in March, generating water shortages and prompting the government to suspend work and school. Earlier this month, the government launched a power rationing plan, and electricity remains intermittent. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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In search of distraction, Venezuelans in Caracas have long taken to the nearby seaside state of Vargas to spend weekends with family and friends on the shores of the Caribbean. “You put your mind in another place,” said Leonel Martinez (C), a soldier relaxing on the sand with his girlfriend while her nephews played nearby. “It’s a way to think about something besides what is happening in the country.” (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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Andrew rides a small tricycle on the rooftop of his family house in Caracas. But in a country where the monthly minimum wage amounts to just $6 per month, the $15-$20 a day trip to the beach can require months of savings and advance planning. Martinez, who said he used to take the 40-kilometer trip to the beach frequently, said it was the first time he had gone in a year. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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Ana Gabriela Alzola and Deniali Vega pose for a photograph at a backdrop used by customers to take pictures inside a mall in Caracas. For Venezuelans, queuing for food is a daily ordeal. They also are used to trying multiple pharmacies and hospitals in search of the medicines they need, and more recently have grown accustomed to collecting water from streams. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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Oriana Contreras and her niece ride a roller coaster at Italo Americano amusement park in Caracas. Strife has similarly not stopped Joaquin Nino, a cash-strapped 35-year-old father of two, from taking his kids to an amusement park in southern Caracas. “We have to work miracles just to have some fun,” Nino said. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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At a parade in Caracas celebrating Holy Week, revellers in straw hats topped with flowers sang, banged drums and blew trumpets to tropical beats. The sun beating down, one marcher who gave his name as Carlos recalled how in past years onlookers would douse marchers with water to cool them down. “Now, because of the problems with the water, that probably will not happen,” he said. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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Members of Family Rose softball team put their hands together before a match at Lecuna Avenue softball pitch in Caracas. "After the game we always had a few beers. But now they are too expensive," said Felix Babaza. The wire fence that once surrounded the field was long ago stolen. The lights, which once allowed the group to play at night, were also pilfered. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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Carmelo Gonzalez dances salsa at El Venezolano square where he meets a seniors club every Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon in Caracas. Gonzalez said, "I have fun and I work. The pension helps me a bit. You have to enjoy life, after you die there is nothing else." (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)

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Yeafersonth Manrique whose nickname is B-Boy Chispa practices break dancing at the Teresa Carreno theatre area where he meets friends to dance in Caracas. "When we're out here dancing, we don't think about the state of the country," said Manrique, a 24-year-old drenched in sweat after a long practice. "In this world there is no crisis." (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)