As reported last week here in the Atlantic, Venezuela is falling apart. Over the past two years, triple-digit inflation, massive shortages, rising crime rates, and failing public services have left many in desperate situations. Reuters photographer Carlos Garcia Rawlins visited hard-hit families in Caracas, to listen to their stories and see how little food they had on hand. From Rawlins: “The combination of Venezuela's sky-rocketing prices and chronic product shortages have left many struggling to put regular food on their tables and maintain a balanced diet ... poorer families say they are sometimes skipping meals and relying more on starch foods. According to one recent study, 87 percent of Venezuelans say their income is now insufficient to purchase their food needs.”
The Empty Cupboards of Venezuela's Families
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Rosa Elaisa Landaez (back) poses for a picture next to her relatives, from left, Albert Perez, Abel Perez, and Yeiderlin Gomez at their home in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 23, 2016. “We are eating badly. For example, if we have corn flour, we eat arepas all day. If you have the money you can't find the foods and if you find you them you do not have enough money,” Landaez said. At the right is a photo of all the food available in Landaez’ house on April 23, 2016. #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
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Antonia Torres poses for a picture at her home in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 22, 2016. “I'm eating less and also I'm eating excess things that should not be eaten,” Torres said. #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
Ricardo Mendez (2nd from left) poses for a picture next to his relatives, from left: Raymari Guerra, Natalia Gerra, Ricardo Mendez, Dayana Mendez, Antonela Mendez, Yolimar Vetancourt, and Liz Torres, at their home in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 23, 2016. “We're a big family, and it's constantly getting harder for us to eat,” Mendez said. #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
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Yaneidy Guzman stands in her home next to her daughters, Esneidy Ramirez (right), and (front row, from left) Steffany Perez and Fabiana Perez, in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 22, 2016. “Now eating is a luxury, before we could earn some money and buy clothes or something, now everything goes on food,” Guzman said. #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
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Duglas Sanchez in his home in Caracas on April 23, 2016. “We are eating in a bad way, we can not eat a balanced way. If we had lunch, not dinner and if we had dinner, not breakfast.” #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
Yunni Perez (right) sits next to her relatives, from left: Carlos Acosta, Adrian Gonzalez, Luis Oliveros, Luis Oliveros, and Hector Acosta at their home in Caracas on April 22, 2016. #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
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Alida Gonzalez (2nd from right) poses next to her relatives, from left: Manuel Garcia, Jesus Garcia, Maira Hernandez, and Nixon Urbano, at their home in Caracas on April 15, 2016. “With the money we used to spend on breakfast, lunch and dinner, we can now buy only breakfast—and not a very good one,” Gonzalez said. #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
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Victoria Mata (2nd from right) stands next to her relatives, from left: Naibeth Pereira, Sebastian, Delis Pereira, Denis Pereira (right) and Wenderly (front), at their home in Caracas on April 21, 2016. “We are eating less because you can't find the foods and when they appear, the queues are hellish and we can't buy them. Now we do not eat three meals, we are eating two meals a day. If we have them,” Mata said. #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
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Francisca Landaeta (right) stands with her relatives, from left: Luisa Gomez, Gabriel Castillo, Kerlin Garrido, and Antony Arias, in their home in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 14, 2016. “We eat today, but we do not know what we will eat tomorrow. We are bad, I never thought it would come to this,” Landaeta said. #
Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins -
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