In May 2019, vehicle lines lengthened at filling stations across Venezuela. Contemporary Reuters footage from Valencia records a driver saying that he had already spent six hours in the queue. A plunge in fuel imports and a shutdown at the country's second-largest refinery left motorists unsure when they would be able to move again.
More than cars stalled in these lines. Work, medical visits, family journeys and deliveries all depended on fuel. The queue made a national shortage visible, but each person in it was pursuing an ordinary goal: getting daily life moving again.