It was a daring gambit: Juan Guaidó, Venezuela’s opposition leader, stood by a military base alongside dozens of uniformed officers and political allies, calling for a military uprising against President Nicolás Maduro.

Three weeks later, Mr Guaidó is shuttling among a half-dozen safe houses to escape capture.

Most of the men who stood with him by the base that day, and many of the legislators who support him, are in jail or sheltering in foreign embassies.

Soldiers routinely shut down the National Assembly that Mr Guaidó leads.

And the protests that filled the streets with Mr Guaidó’s supporters are dwindling as Venezuelans, struggling with a crumbling economy and shortages of food, gasoline and medication, return to the business of surviving.

Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Show all 24 1 /24 Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Children play while attending a birthday party celebration at Catia neighbourhood Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Anderson Rodriguez trains on a slackline at a National Circus of Venezuela venue in Caracas Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos A child climbs on a bike to see an amusement park with an illuminated ferris wheel in Caracas Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Andrew rides a small tricycle on the rooftop of his family house in Caracas's Catia neighbourhood Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos A child reacts next to members of a folk group dressed as devils while taking part in the celebration of Los Palmeros de Chacao, a Holy Week tradition, in Caracas Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Members of Family Rose softball team put their hands together before a match at Lecuna Avenue softball pitch in Caracas. "After the game we always had a few beers. But now they are too expensive," said Felix Babaza Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Oriana Contreras and her niece ride a roller coaster at Italo Americano amusement park in Caracas. Contreras said, "Sometimes, the quotidian things bore, more the situation which we are going through. We try to have fun with what we can." Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Members of a folk group take part in the celebration of Palmeros de Chacao Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos A bird is seen inside a cage in front of the beach at La Guaira near Caracas Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Leonel Martinez, who works as soldier, kisses his girlfriend as they spend a day at Coral beach in La Guaira. "It's a way to think about something besides what is happening in the country," said Martinez. "It's not something you can do every day, because of the situation in the country." Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos A young boy practices on a unicycle while hula hooping at the Teresa Carreno theatre area where friends meet to practice in Caracas Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Ana Gabriela Alzola and Deniali Vega pose for a photograph at a backdrop used by customers to take pictures inside a mall in Caracas Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Carmelo Gonzalez dances salsa at El Venezolano square where he meets a seniors club every Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon in Caracas. Gonzalez said, "I have fun and I work. The pension helps me a bit. You have to enjoy life, after you die there is nothing else." Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Children pose for a photograph on a disused tank displayed at Los Proceres boulevard in Caracas Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos A boy flies a homemade kite next to Gran Mision Vivienda housing project in Caracas. The children make their own kites using a plastic bag, sticks and a nylon line. "Most expensive is the nylon cone, which is 10 thousand Bolivar notes (approximately 3 US dollars)," said Luis Flores Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Arianny Itriago sits during her quinceanera (15th birthday celebration) at Catia neighbourhood. Arianny's father, Ronny, said, "It's a family tradition to celebrate a quinceanera. Now everything is hyper expensive in our country. Everything is handled based on the US dollar, our Bolivars do not have much weight due to inflation, we are practically dollarized... The music that we hired was 80 or 90 US dollars." Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Genesis Gonzalez arranges her mortarboard before posing for a photograph at Valle Arriba lookout point in Caracas. Genesis's father, Rafael, said, "My daughter is a Psychology Graduate of the Catholic University Andres Bello, despite the adversity, we must celebrate these things." Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos A man looks at pinatas at a birthday supplies shop in Caracas. The manager of the shop said, "People were coming after work or early on Saturdays to buy birthday supplies. Now few people come." Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Children walk along a breakwater at Coral beach in La Guaira near Caracas. "A person who has a minimum wage can't come [to the beach]. The anguish that has all Venezuelans is food. First the flour and the rice." said Carla Cordova Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Yeafersonth Manrique whose nickname is B-Boy Chispa practices break dancing at the Teresa Carreno theatre area where he meets friends to dance. "When we're out here dancing, we don't think about the state of the country," said Yeafersonth Manrique, a 24-year-old drenched in sweat after a long practice. "In this world there is no crisis." Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Neidi Luzardo and his relative enjoy a ride at the Italo Americano amusement park. "The most common fun for a Caraqueno is a beach day," said Luzardo Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Belinda, a former teacher, laughs after taking a photograph of graffiti which reads 'Normality is a privilege?' in Caracas. "We, the Venezuelan people, make a joke of everything," said Belinda Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos A woman holds a child as they get ready to hit a pinata at a birthday party celebration in Caracas Reuters Venezuelans seek joy amid the chaos Victor floats in the sea as he spends a day at Coral beach Reuters

Weakened and unable to bring the political crisis gripping Venezuela to a quick resolution, Mr Guaidó has been forced to consider negotiations with President Maduro, the man he had promised to remove from power.

Both sides have sent representatives to Norway for talks, a concession Mr Guaidó previously rejected.

In public, Mr Guaidó remains upbeat and unwavering.

At flash rallies around the capital, Caracas, he implores supporters to keep up the protests. But during an interview, he acknowledged that the opposition’s capacity to operate is hurting.

“The persecution has been savage,” he said in the empty hallway of one of the safe houses he uses.

More than 50 countries — including the United States, Canada and most members of the European Union — recognised Mr Guaidó as the country’s legitimate president in January, calling Mr Maduro’s re-election for a second term fraudulent.

Since then, several countries that support Mr Guaidó have expressed an openness to other approaches to ending the political paralysis in Venezuela — a big shift from the urgent international calls for Mr Maduro’s removal four months ago.

In an interview in April, Elliott Abrams, the Trump administration’s special envoy for Venezuela, said that for a democratic transition to work, all Venezuelans should be part of it, including those who remain loyal to Mr Maduro.

“They are part of Venezuela’s political scene,” he said. “So we’re just trying to make it clear that we really want a democratic Venezuela. We’re not picking winners.”

President Donald Trump has since turned his international focus to Iran, dashing for the time being any hopes that members of the opposition may have had of securing US military support.

Despairing of a quick resolution, Mr Guaidó’s European allies have redoubled efforts to secure a negotiated pact between the opposition and the government, moving the main front in Venezuela’s political battle to the diplomatic arena, said Félix Seijas, the director of Caracas-based pollster Delphos, which has advised the opposition.

Venezuela: Hundreds of opposition supporters gather outside Carlota Fort for more protests

Last week, envoys from each side travelled to Norway to meet with representatives for preliminary talks, according to officials from both sides.

In a speech to public sector workers Thursday, Mr Guaidó said he had agreed to the talks, but restated: “We will not lend ourselves to false negotiations.”

He said the goal remained to remove President Maduro, establish a transitional government and call free and fair elections.

Mr Guaidó also met last week with European diplomats representing the International Contact Group on Venezuela, which has been working to secure new elections in the country.

And, in separate attempts to find common ground on Venezuela with Mr Maduro’s biggest backers, Canada’s foreign minister travelled to Cuba and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to Russia.

Mr Maduro has also been weakened by Guaidó’s uprising attempt.

His intelligence police chief has defected, and the US claims that top officials, including the defence minister and chief justice, were involved in the plot.

US sanctions are ravaging Venezuela’s vital oil sector and imports, making it increasingly difficult for Mr Maduro to govern.

The country largely ground to a halt over the weekend because of a lack of fuel — a shortage that President Maduro has blamed the sanctions for.

Six years of recession, however, have made Mr Maduro adept at managing, if not solving, cascading crises.

He is now betting that repression and fatigue will destroy Mr Guaidó’s support before sanctions force his government out of power, Mr Seijas said.

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“The government feels that the time is in their favour, and they are not necessarily wrong,” Mr Seijas said. “Neither side can strong-arm the other, but the government feels this situation is something they can manage and control.”

Opposition leaders said they would continue working to remove President Maduro and set up a transitional government from the safe houses and embassies where they have sought shelter.

“The goal now is not to become a political martyr by getting arrested,” said Juan Andrés Mejía, a lawmaker from Mr Guaidó’s Popular Will Party who went into hiding after the government stripped him of parliamentary immunity last week.

“The goal is to bring about a transitional government. I’m focused now on making sure the work we started doesn’t stop.”