Daily Times

When coronavirus quarantines shut down street vendors in Venezuela’s capital, Dioselis Bello pushed her hot dog cart inside her house and reopened for business.

Like many struggling to get by, she can’t survive long without working.

Now, customers walk up to her front window to order a traditional Venezuelan arepa, or perhaps a hamburger or soup. Bello says business isn’t like it was when she worked her portable griddle on the bustling street, but she’s happy to earn a living.

“I can´t complain,” 49-year-old Bello said. “This way, at least I´m at home and I’m able to work.”

She’s one of many Venezuelans who have adapted to harsh quarantine restrictions by turning their homes and other spaces into makeshift take-out restaurants or shops.

The first cases of COVID-19 in Venezuela five months ago were followed by quarantine measures that closed businesses and left many without work. The pandemic hit at a moment of economic crisis that left many scraping by on a monthly minimum wage equal to roughly $2.60.

Despite the strict measures, Venezuelan officials report that the coronavirus has left at least 337 dead and sickened roughly 40,000. Critics say the numbers are likely much higher.

Santa Rosalía Street in a poor neighborhood at the heart of Caracas used to teem with food carts offering street fare all night long.