45-story skyscraper for the poor Bashny.Net

In 1990, construction began on a high-rise office complex Centro Financiero Confinanzas in Caracas, but in 1994 due to the banking crisis and the death of the main investor David Brillemburga construction was suspended. 45-story skyscraper was empty for long, pretty quickly it began to occupy the homeless of Caracas. Authorities turned a blind eye to such a seizure of the building, and is currently in the "Tower of David" is home to more than 3,000 people. Electricity and running water are mounted in a hurry, there are only 22 floors. Reuters photographer Jorge Silva earlier this year visited the tower and spent some time with its inhabitants.
Photo: 30-year-old Gabriel Rivas raises the bar on the balcony of the 28th floor "Tower of David" in Caracas, Venezuela, February 9, 2014.

In contrast to the architects, builders and officials who have failed to reach an agreement, the people themselves, "added onto" the building, turning it from the office to the living. In the photo: the unfinished "Tower of David" towers over the other buildings in Caracas.

In 1990, the Venezuelan millionaire Brillemburg started to build a 60-storey office skyscraper in Caracas. By 1993, it was built 45 floors - and in the same year he died a millionaire.

The heirs of a millionaire there was no money for the completion of an office center, and by the end of the 1990s the tower settled drug addicts, prostitutes and other antisocial personality.

In 1999, as a result of the revolution came to power, Hugo Chavez. One of his first decisions was to call for "the working people" to capture the vacant property. By that time, about 400 thousand families in Caracas had no housing or lived in slums. People began to take root in the empty after escaping their owners villas, warehouses and other facilities that had walls and a roof. However, the "Tower of David" and remained a haven of gangsters - very few people dared to enter into conflict with them. In the photo: a basketball court inside the "Tower of David."

There were only two "civil society activists" who came into confrontation with the bandits: David López an anarchist named Honesto (honest) and Baptist pastor Alexander Daza 'El Niño' (the kid). During the six months Honesto, El Niño and its teams knocked out of the gangsters' Tower of David. " However, a year later, in late 2001, David Lopez "Honesto" fell from the 14th floor, then suggested - not without "help" defeated them gangsters.

Today, the 45-storey unfinished occupy about 2,500 people, of which about 800 people - Baptists and 500 - anarchists (it is believed that the remaining residents in one way or another just share their views, but really just stood under the reliable "roof") . Photo: Adriana Gutiérrez and her son Carlos Adrian watching television in his apartment on the 24th floor, "the Tower of David."

Three times a week apart from each other and anarchist commune Baptists gather to discuss current and future challenges, as well as prayers or listening to political information. Every 2 weeks held a joint meeting of the communes in which the vote is taken any decision. In fact, the "Tower of David" rules anarchist fundamentalism. In the photo: the children running around the corridors of the "Tower of David»

In order not to quarrel with the authorities, even revolutionary, all residents pay for utilities, on average, it takes about 15 dollars a month. However, the water supply and sewerage supply are carried out only up to 28 floors. On these floors, and live "ideological squatters", and those who are not formally part of their communities, are located on the 28th floor of 45.

Squatters at its discretion make the redevelopment, turning the office into residential space. Also on the money they finish building containing walls. Another idea pastor Daza - to rent parking spaces in the underground floor of the "Tower of David" and the money to build out on the 1st floor of a year. In the photo: the men moved metal objects on the 30th floor of a skyscraper.