No matter what the media says about how things are now, how you perceive reality is what truly matters. I know keeping false hopes can be hazardous. (I have experience with that, trust me.) Confirmation of that is found in deep insights like the ones in this Hopium article.

After one month of adjusting to my perception of this little town in Venezuela where I lived more or less peacefully until my early adulthood, I can acknowledge my vision while away was not exactly the most accurate.

Observations of the businesses and trades here

Those wealthy enough, for sure, have no problems, even if that wealth is mainly invested in facilities within our borders, machinery, vehicles, real estate, and properties. However, I do notice many empty commercial rentals. One primary reason for the empty rentals is people are not adequately analyzing the market here. I see this all over, not just here, but in many other cities, Lima included. It's not something new, but the cruelty of a deprived economy reinforces terrible business choices.

Lack of planning and preparation is a sure way to kill any entrepreneurial endeavor. One MUST do a proper market study before entertaining the thought of opening a business in the middle of a slow-motion collapse. This process involves plenty of experience, knowledge, and a critical capability: awareness.