A group of volunteers called “trenzando sonrisas,” or “braiding smiles,” braids the hair of young girls at a temporary shelter in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 14, 2026. More than a month after the earthquakes, the coastal region of La Guaira — once Venezuela’s main gateway — is completely unrecognizable. (Fabiola Ferrero/The New York Times) By EMMA BUBOLA There was a billboard on the seaside road along Venezuela’s northern coast with a gigantic photograph of a smiling Nicolás Maduro, the…
