View of the Amuay Refinery in Punto Fijo town in Falcon State on the northern area of Venezuela. Once one of the most important oil refinery of the world it is today working at a quarter of its capacity while the area is heavily affected by polution, water shortage, electricity black outs and other difficult situations that affects Venezuelans as hyperinflation and crime.
View of the lonely and remote portion of road connecting Coro town with the area of Punto Fijo, almost at the northern point of Venezuela and surrounded by Caribbean Sea.
View of part of the Hydrogen Unit in the Amuay refinery from the debris of a house in Ali Primera Neighborhood. The area was heavily affected by an explosion that took place in 2012 and killed 48 people and injured many more, destroying houses and facilities of the refinery, many had to be taken down and not built again.
Mr. Ramón Urbina, 92 years old, stands for a portrait close to the Amuay refinery. Mr Urbina arrived in the town in 1926 and started working at the oil processing complex since its opening in the 1950's. Looking at the petroleum coke processing building he said "That is just a useless carcass" as the unit is virtually not working and experts said that is better to build a new one than recover that one.
In the Amuacity area of Punto Fijo town fishermen come back from their early work. The crisis have affected the fishing activity as they are unable to afford pieces for motors, nets, motor oil and people of the area lack resources to buy the fish. Together with that the big quantity of oil ships block the entrance of the fishes. These oil ships were coming at the stance of one passing by the port each hour and continuing and now spend days waiting to be loaded.
At the entrance of Punto Fijo a man and a young boy get water from a truck stopped by inhabitants of the area while protesting for the lack of running water for at least 3 weeks, block roads and stop a water tank truck and force the driver to give them the water the truck transports.
At the Punto Fijo entrance a young boy carries a tire to set up a road block while inhabitants of the sector protest for the 3 weeks long and hard lack of running water. Arid areas like Punto Fijo town in Falcon State are deeply suffering the lack of running water that is extensively affecting Venezuela a the moment despite having huge amounts of water in the territory.
A man comes back from carrying water from a pump that serve water to the whole community as the town is in heavy lack of the vital resource.
At the entrance of Punto Fijo a group of young boys showers under the water pipe of a truck while inhabitants of the area protest for the lack of running water for at least 3 weeks, block roads and stop a water tank truck and force the driver to give them the water the truck transports.
View of a small road block set up by inhabitants of a a popular area of Punto Fijo town in Falcon State to protest for the 3 weeks long and hard lack of running water. Arid areas like Punto Fijo town in Falcon State are deeply suffering the lack of running water that is extensively affecting Venezuela a the moment despite having huge amounts of water in the territory.
Mr. Orlando Garces, 56 years old, sits for a picture at his bar - restaurant "The Gold Medal" in front of the refinery, the place, that has been active for 38 years, miraculously survived the explosion but the economic crisis and the decay of the refinery have it now completely empty and at the border of closure.
Military officers visiting the area for a fishing tournement take a swim in the area of Amuacito with the Amuay Refinery on the background. The oil industry is handled by a member of military forces that has no formation on the oil industry.
Young kids of the area play in the abandoned building formerly used as center for collecting, selling and distributing the products from the fishing activity in a form of cooperative. The innitiative has been abandoned for years after one of its main heads was arrested for drug trafficking, a very important activity of the area.
A dead fish is seen in the salt marshes formed around the refinery of Amuay in Punto Fijo - Falcon Sate in Venezuela.
Mr. Tutankhamen Ramses Arroyo, 53 years old, is a fisherman that came from Maracaibo in Zulia State 28 years ago. For him the situation has never been so hard with difficulties at almost every aspect of both their work and personal daily life.
After more than 13 hours of a black out, a man of the sector looks among garbage for baby food glass containers to make improvised kerosene lamps to give some light to his house.
A man walks on the sand in front of an abandoned ship in an area close to the refinery port. This surrounding area is in evident decay with trash, debris and material related to the oil industry polluted the place and abandoned or destroyed infrastructure make the area very inhospit.
Mr Juvenal Riera, 83 years old, is seen through the windows of his house in Punto Fijo, Falcon State. Mr Riera was an electricity technician of the Amuay Refinery and worked there for 37 years. Been retired 22 years ago he talks about another company with very good perspective for the workers to make a solid career and earn a good life quality.
A worker of the Amuay oil refinery complex, whose identity has been reserved, rides in front of the oil processing complex. The worker, an oil engineer, explains that almost every part of the process is suffering from different problems due to lack of work force, recources and maintenance.
View of part of the Amuay Refinery complex. Once one of the biggest and most important oil refineries of the world today its infrastructure is in heavy decay and its production at some 25% of its capacity.
