It's midnight on one of the most dangerous roads in Latin America and Venezuelan trucker Humberto Aguilar hurtles through the darkness with 20 tons of vegetables freshly harvested from the Andes for sale in the capital, Caracas. When he set off at sunset from the town of La Grita in western Venezuela on his 900km journey, Aguilar knew he was taking his life in his hands. With hunger widespread amid a fifth year of painful economic implosion under President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela has seen a frightening surge in attacks on increasingly lawless roads. Just a few days earlier, Aguilar said he sat terrified when hundreds of looters swarmed a stationary convoy, overwhelming drivers by sheer numbers. They carted off milk, rice and sugar from other trucks but left his less-prized vegetables alone.162 The number of convoy lootings across Venezuela last month."Every time I say goodbye to my family, I entrust myself to God and the Virgin," said the 36-year-old trucker. While truck heists ha...
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