File:Child working selling vegetables in downtown Maracaibo.jpg

English: Child working selling vegetables in downtown Maracaibo. Captured in 2013, the image of José pushing his vegetable cart through Maracaibo's central market is a gateway to a time and place that no longer exist. Despite the passing decade, the vibrant energy of the boy persists, eternally etched in the memories of those who witnessed it. Back then, José, merely 12 years old, stood out for his tenacity. With his worn-out shoes and a heavy vegetable cart, he imprinted his presence on the bustling market every dawn. A true testament to resilience and fighting spirit, his figure became an emblem in the urban landscape of 2013's Maracaibo. Today, that market is no more. The passage of time and circumstances have erased its footprints, but its memory endures in the hearts of those who frequented it. Some of its dwellers have passed away, while others were forced to leave Venezuela, fleeing from the dictatorship and poverty. The Venezuelan crisis triggered one of the largest migrations in the history of Latin America. Many of the faces that once breathed life into Maracaibo's central market are now scattered around the globe, carrying echoes of their home with them. Nevertheless, the image of José remains a beacon of hope and strength. While the photograph represents a vanished past, it is also a testament to the positive energy and determination of a boy who, despite adversity, rose every day to face the world bravely. In it, we see the essence of what Venezuela once was and what, hopefully, it could someday be again