Life By The Refineries: Photos From Venezuela’s Paraguana Peninsula After Maduro’s Capture

Less than two weeks after a U.S. military operation captured former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, life along Venezuela’s northwestern coast continues against the imposing backdrop of the country’s largest oil refining complex on the Paraguana Peninsula. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has announced plans to reform the nation’s energy sector, while the coastal landscape remains dominated by refinery towers, pipelines and anchored tankers.

Across the peninsula, small fishing boats and local skiffs share the waters with international oil tankers, illustrating the close—and uneasy—coexistence of industry and everyday livelihoods. Communities cling to the shoreline near refinery installations and salt flats, where residents go about routine tasks amid the hum of petrochemical infrastructure.

Contrasts in a Coastal Landscape

The images curated by AP photo editors capture sharp contrasts: rusting and gleaming industrial structures beside fragile coastal ecosystems, and the sweeping sand dunes of Médanos de Coro National Park framing scenes of ordinary life. Photographs show fishermen, refinery workers and families moving through streets and beaches that are visually dominated by oil operations.

These photographs underline how national energy priorities and local, everyday existence intersect along a strategically important but environmentally sensitive coastline.

This gallery offers a visual snapshot of a region where geopolitical developments—stirred by leadership changes and announced reforms—play out amid the rhythms of daily life by the sea.

Note: This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.