Venezuela’s elite restaurants thrive as food shortages worsen

After 20 years of socialist revolution, the gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ seems as wide as ever

Gideon Long in Caracas

While thousands of volunteers plan to spend this weekend distributing food to those hit hardest by Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis, a lucky few in Caracas will be tucking into steak with butter sauce, asparagus and roast potatoes, topped with parmesan cheese, parsley and truffle oil.

That’s one of the signature dishes at La Esquina, one of a handful of restaurants that still function and indeed thrive in a tiny bubble of opulence in the Venezuelan capital.