El Ávila and Caracas city. Credit: Teresa García Alcaraz.
Caracas is a city of contrasts. The capital of Venezuela holds massive wealth and misery, asphalt and nature, skyscrapers and shacks. Deep wounds separate the city's rich from its poor.
Half of Caracas' population live in urban settlements, commonly known as barrios. Being vulnerable to natural disasters, the housing problem is notorious. Endless traffic jams paralyse the city. Poverty and violence are rife, placing Venezuela among the top three most violent countries in Latin America.
