How Venezuelans make their cell phones in the middle of the endless power outage

Many supermarkets are closed because they do not have a power station. No one can withdraw cash from ATMs or use any type of card, in a country where electronic transactions are vital, even for small operations, because there is no money.

Without electricity, Venezuelans also found themselves without mobile or fixed telephony and without access to the Internet. In addition, they do not have water because the pumps do not work and the fresh foods start to be damaged in this country with a tropical climate.

In the minds of young people and adults, after thinking about emergencies (how to get food or give patients treatment that requires energy), there is the following problem: small battery in smartphones, needed to talk with their families and stay informed in the uncertainty of political crisis, street protests, repression and fears of looting and crime.

(Video: a tutorial to load the mobile phone that has become viral in the country's networks)

During the day, hundreds of people come to square with solar panels charge the batteries of your mobile devices. They are fighting for the few places available. Others do it from their vehicles, where a charger with adapter becomes essential.

As if that were not enough, an additional problem is the lack of signal. Cris Carrasco, a merchant from Caracas, moves his mobile phone in the air trying to increase the connection "bars". The night has already fallen.

"Right now, we try to have a signal to communicate with our loved ones, there is no way of communication, we will be here a little longer, because insecurity also surrounds us and we have to be careful, "he says.

Being able to send a message on WhatsApp does not mean the end of things. It remains to be seen if the receiver had a cell phone turned on and with an internet connection. "Double check" confirms a woman in the area after a wait that has stretched in the dark.

Many avoid taking mobile phones in public, a precaution gained from the increase in crime in recent years.

The electrical service was only restored a few hours during these three days. But the reduction continues to affect Caracas and 22 of the country's 23 states, without the authorities determining how long it will take to standardize supply.