Window displays promising 30% discounts and shoes for $20 failed to draw crowds to a busy Caracas mall this Black Friday. Even a newly opened H&M store was largely deserted during the morning hours.
Venezuelans say it is the country's crushing economy — not fears of U.S. military action — that explains the muted turnout, a sharp contrast with post-pandemic years when shoppers queued for hours outside stores. After years of navigating a complex crisis, many residents focus on immediate needs such as food and medicine rather than long-term or collective concerns like the risk of military strikes.
“The country’s economy is based on day-to-day survival. What do I do to survive today and live tomorrow?” said physician Luisa Torrealba outside an appliance shop. “We don’t have the luxury of stopping because there’s going to be a war, because there’s a psychological war going on, because the government says one thing or the United States says another.”
One day earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, saying during a Thanksgiving address to troops that the military could “very soon” begin targeting alleged drug-smuggling operations tied to the country. A months-long U.S. maritime operation has killed 80 people in strikes on vessels in international waters in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, officials say. Some of the targeted boats are alleged to have sailed from Venezuela.
Since returning to office, President Trump has intensified actions against Maduro and his allies, including increasing to $50 million the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on narcoterrorism charges. Maduro denies the accusations and accuses the United States of seeking to force a change of government.
While the White House weighs whether and when to carry out strikes on Venezuelan soil, the country's economy continues to deteriorate and millions struggle to afford basic necessities.
Economic pressures keep shoppers home
The International Monetary Fund reported an annual inflation rate of about 270% last month. Households typically need more than $500 to cover basic monthly needs, yet Venezuela's official minimum wage remains 130 bolivars — roughly $0.52 — unchanged since 2022 and far below the United Nations' extreme poverty threshold of $2.15 per day.
Many public-sector employees survive on roughly $160 a month, while the average private-sector salary is about $237, according to the independent Venezuelan Observatory of Finances.
At the mall, Marian García expected to see lines outside a shoe store where boots were advertised for $20 — a steep discount from their usual $60–$80 price tag, which can represent more than 10% of a household’s monthly income. Instead, García found herself first in line.
“It’s difficult to indulge in luxuries,” said García, 26. “Due to the current economic situation, people are cutting back and only spending on the essentials, such as food.”
Yarbelis Revilla, who works three jobs and prides herself on finding bargains, also searched the mall for deals but concluded many discounts did not feel like true bargains this year.
Given the country's hardships, Revilla said shopping for shoes can seem like “vanity,” but she added that she focuses on meeting immediate needs rather than making long-term plans. “I am a Christian, and the Bible says, ‘Do not worry. Do not make plans for the future because you won’t really know what’s coming,’” she said.
