Ihave lived in Maracaibo all my life. For many, the way of life here is one of simply trying to survive. Political repression and hyperinflation are the norm. For a few of us, heroin used to be the norm too. But while the country’s economic crisis grows more visible every day, heroin is on the brink of disappearing. The people who use it seem to be disappearing, too. By Antonio Matheus Suarez. Full Text -> Filter

Slowly, wireless internet blossomed in Maracaibo, although it was expensive. Companies like Fulldata and AirTek began to build a strong consumer base, limited due to installation costs (up to $500; the Venezuelan minimum wage is way below that) and technology. AirTek offered a 5 Mbps connection for $27 in 2019, while the same packages were up to $100 in Caracas. These wISPs were a solution, but not the answer. By Arnaldo Espinoza. Full Text-> CaracasChronicles

The pain of breathing made butcher Elkin cry. He caught the coronavirus in a street market where he works in Maracaibo, the main city in a once-prosperous oil producing region of Venezuela that has been left destitute by a fuel shortage and frequent blackouts. It’s also a virus hotspot. Full Text -> Bangkok Post

Interviews with a half-dozen nurses, doctors and public officials in the capital city of Zulia state paint a disturbing picture of a hospital already overwhelmed in the first stages of an outbreak. What’s more, Maracaibo’s trials offer an ominous glimpse at the fate of health centers throughout the nation. On a continent vastly unprepared to confront the pandemic, nowhere was worse off heading into the crisis than Venezuela, a former oil powerhouse that’s now running out of fuel and basic supplies after seven years of economic collapse. By Nicolle Yapur and Alex Vasquez. Full Text-> Bloomberg

The once-wealthy South American country of Venezuela is in the midst of political, economic and humanitarian crises made more severe by U.S. sanctions. And Venezuela’s second-largest city, Maracaibo, was at one time the jewel of its petroleum economy. But the city, along with the rest of the country, is now suffering. Special correspondent Marcia Biggs reports with Pulitzer Center support.. By Marcia Biggs and Frank Carlson. Full text and video -> Pulitzer Center