John Otis

Colombian officials say 12,000 Venezuelans have taken buses back to their home country since Colombia imposed restrictions to stop the coronavirus outbreak. Many other Venezuelans are fleeing on foot.

Hospitals and doctors are overwhelmed. So are funeral homes and cemeteries. "You feel powerless," said one doctor tending to 200 patients.

The epicenter of the country's outbreak is the port city of Guayaquil, where cadavers are lying in the streets and in homes.

Colombia is home to about 1.7 million who fled neighboring Venezuela in recent years. Now that it has shut down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the migrants say they are extra vulnerable.

Opposition leader Juan Guaidó vowed to form a provisional government that would hold elections and offered amnesty to military officers who help. But there are no reports of new troop rebellions.

The country's rising cocaine production has alarmed Washington, which has spent more than $10 billion over nearly two decades to attack the illegal drug trade in Colombia.

Authorities control flour, and bakers say there isn't enough. But officials say bakers are diverting flour to more profitable brownies and trying to bring down the government.

Drug czar Pablo Escobar's son studied to be an architect. But his late father's notoriety interfered with business, so today he's a speaker urging kids to stay away from drugs.

The country has oil, natural gas and rivers for hydroelectric power. Yet it's suffering crippling electricity cuts, adding to its economic woes.

Venezuela's economic model has imploded. With food production, import and distribution now controlled by the government, shelves are bare. A day's hunt for groceries in Caracas can prove futile.