A growing number of Venezuelans have started fishing in the open ocean on rubber dinghies in a bid for survival as the country’s economic and humanitarian crisis continues to worsen due to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

A report from the Associated Press this weekend found that increasing numbers of people from the coastal town of La Guaira, close to the capital of Caracas, are using the method to provide sustenance for themselves and their families.

Often traveling in groups, participants swim up to five miles off the coastline in order to secure food for themselves and their families. Beaches are closed because of the pandemic, although these restrictions are routinely ignored.

“If we had steady work, we wouldn’t risk our lives out there,” 35-year-old Juan Carlos Almeida told the agency. “We’re bricklayers, but there’s no construction… If we don’t help ourselves and don’t go to work, who’s going to feed us? Nobody.”

The voyages carry significant risk, with swimmers facing strong currents, which if mishandled can cause them to drown. There is also the risk of being bitten by a shark should they try to grab their catch. Once arriving back onshore, swimmers are often forced to walk for miles holding their catch to return home.

Such voyages underline the dire circumstances faced by millions of Venezuelans, as the country’s economic situation is exacerbated by lockdown measures imposed by the socialist regime since March. In February, a study from the United Nations Food Program determined that one in three Venezuelans (roughly 9.3 million) are facing severe hunger, with this figure only likely to have risen as quarantine measures have put millions of people out of work.

Like many parts of Latin America, Venezuela has experienced a surge in coronavirus cases over the past six weeks, reporting 33,755 and 281 deaths. However, many analysts suspect this figure may well be higher given the lack of testing and the decrepit nature of the country’s healthcare system.

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