Caracas

People

Caracas is a city of migrants and immigrants from all over the world; its people are mestizos, coupled with immigrants from Italy, Portugal, and many Latin American countries. The breakdown of the Venezuelan population is approximately 80 percent mestizos (of mixed European, Indian and African ancestry), 20 percent white, eight percent black, and two percent Indian. Caraqueños (the people of Caracas) reflect the same breakdown and are proud of their modern, cosmopolitan city. They too reflect the sophistication and modernity for which their city is known. Since Caracas is the business and political capital of the country, people generally dress up more than in the smaller cities. The people of Caracas also present contrasting images—while on one hand the city is full of many (often wealthy) professionals, it is a also a city surrounded by slums and a poverty-stricken, struggling lower class. Many rural people emigrate here for work, and the class differences of rich and poor are clear to most visitors upon looking up the hillsides at the slums that occupy them.