The Guardian on life in Caracas now:

At times on quiet streets you can hear the “click, click, click” of the electric wires running across tall walls. Some shop owners choose to keep their doors locked, buzzing clients in once they have been vetted. Even the windows and some balconies of high-rise buildings are fenced off with metal bars, like teeth snarling down on the city.

Crime has affected the city’s architecture. While once Venezuelan homes were designed homes based on comfort and Caribbean-style open spaces, today the focus is on security.

But it’s not just about buildings. Nicolas Kasang, an urban development consultant, has argued that this type of urbanisation has had a negative impact on the city’s social dynamic. “[It] fragments public space, breaks down social cohesion, perpetuates widespread insecurity, and, ultimately, diminishes the overall quality of urban life,” writes Kasang.