It is payday Friday, and a popular shopping mall located in eastern Caracas is packed. But while the hallways look full and the display windows are brightly lit and well-stocked, many people enter and leave empty-handed.
Shoppers walk around, browse, compare prices, but they buy very little. The exception is a store belonging to a renowned international lingerie brand, around which a line has formed following the announcement of special discounts on certain products.
This is a recent scene, yet it reflects a reality that also existed prior to January 3 — when then-President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by the United States in a military operation in the capital.
At the mall’s food court, customers frequently pay using an app that grants small credit…
