That’s nowhere near enough to buy a day’s worth of food for a family of four.
Marta cano plus#
Piñero, 53, earns roughly $5 a month plus some bonuses cleaning a public hospital in Caracas. The absence of her daughter, granddaughter and 11-year-old grandson has led to a mix of sadness, gratitude and fear, even as she turns to prayer for strength. Unable to travel, the grandmother has settled for watching via video calls as the girl grew from a newborn into a toddler.
Her only child left Venezuela six years ago and gave birth in Colombia. Iraida Piñero has never held her 2-year-old granddaughter. “They left,” Rodríguez said, “and they forgot about the shoes.” In mid-February he gave away 70 pairs of shoes that customers abandoned long ago. Many of his clients don’t see a future in Venezuela either. He misses them, but the remittances she sends home proved crucial when he got COVID-19 and racked up medical bills of at least $3,000 - roughly 50 times the annual minimum wage. One of his daughters does not share his optimism and moved to Chile with her two daughters in 2018. He has high hopes for the country's future but admitted they depend on a rebound in oil production and the return of foreign energy companies. Rodríguez said he has “faith in Venezuela” and would never leave, a decision he acknowledged he can make because he owns a well-established business. “So, people prefer to get them repaired.”
“With the situation right now, buying a new shoe is a little more difficult for people,” said Rodríguez, 71. Unlike with other businesses, clients have kept going to his shop throughout the crisis as prices soar for all manner of goods. José Francisco Rodríguez has been a cobbler for 46 years in the capital, Caracas, doing everything from repairing oil workers' boots to adding lifts to sneakers to covering bridal shoes with delicate fabric. People long for weekend or evening gatherings around a grill with loved ones who are now far-flung, or lament missed birthdays, graduations and funerals.
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