Francis Moreno managed a long shoe store that was attracting customers to a whole neighborhood in Caracas .. However, the situation changed after the "Covid-19" pandemic and the accompanying measures of stone, which led her to change the nature of her store and switch to selling food exclusively.
And in mid-March, Socialist President Nicholas Maduro decided to impose stone measures on all of Venezuela to curb the "Covid 19" epidemic. For two and a half months, only pharmacists and foodstuffs were allowed to operate.
This decision was a blow to Francis Moreno (38 years), the owner of a shoe store in the Venezuelan capital, as she could no longer continue her commercial activity, which would have been inevitably reflected in the shop’s demise in the short or medium term, especially in light of the “evaporation” of her savings. According to Moreno.
She had the idea of a solution to this situation. "We thought there was an opportunity for us to sell food," said Moreno from her store in the Sabana Grande business district in central Caracas.
The idea soon turned into a reality, as Francis went to a store to buy pasta, sugar, salt, butter, oil and flour to re-sell it to the customers of her shop. On the shelves, the shoes were replaced by foodstuffs used in the preparation of the Ariba corn flour sandwich, which is a central component of the Venezuelan cuisine.
Meanwhile, Oriana Chavaro was forced to change the nature of the family store, which has been exclusively for photo supplies for the past 60 years, in the affluent Chacao neighborhood. Onion and tomato piles replaced the cameras on site. "What do people buy at this point?" Says Oriana, 23. the food. So we decided to take this step. ”
The small photography studio has turned into a vegetable store where tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables are purchased by the family every week.
Because of the economic crisis in Venezuela, more than six years ago, the activities of wedding and evening photographers have declined in recent years. However, the health crisis related to the "Covid-19" epidemic and stone measures have eradicated this sector.
Nevertheless, Oriana stresses that shifting her activity from a photography studio to another store is not a panacea, as selling vegetables hardly covers operational costs.
They must also adhere to strict restrictions on working hours, as all stores, even those devoted to food sales, must close their doors. “They forcefully shut down the store, without any explanation,” she says. As you know, you cannot address them with any word. ”
Jose, a fancy dressmaker in Caracas, notes that the "alternating" stone measures are very mysterious, and the restrictions attached to them are largely incomprehensible.
"If the police come and find us selling these products, they can shut down the store," he says, referring to his hand to balloons and fancy dress items, which are classified items "not essential" in this store that also sells food.