Jesús Piñero grew up with the sound of gunfire, but thought he would be safe on the bus taking him to his home in Caracas. Then a mugger came for his phone …
As he rushed up the stairs from the Palo Verde metro station and jumped into the camioneta (small bus) for the five-minute ride to his home in Caracas, Jesús Piñero’s head buzzed with projects and ideas. It was 25 March 2016, and Venezuela was in meltdown, but the 22-year-old was upbeat. Exam results, parties and family awaited after a day with friends shaking a tin on the street for money to buy lightbulbs for the university history department where – in a first for his working-class family – he was a promising student.
His white Blu phone – only $80 (£60) but his most expensive and valued possession – did not stop pinging. His mother, Elisa, was worried. “When are you getting home?” She had been messaging all afternoon. A cake was ready for his brother and sister, who had birthdays that week. The family was gathering. It was getting dark. Street crime was horrendous.
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Jesús Piñero grew up with the sound of gunfire, but thought he would be safe on the bus taking him to his home in Caracas. Then a mugger came for his phone …As he rushed up the stairs from the Palo Verde metro station...
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