Venezuela is going through a critical period, with the United States seeking to destroy the country's economy and overthrow the government. CGTN's Toby Muse traveled around the country to see how Venezuelans are getting by for our special series "Through Their Eyes".

Venezuela - a country in crisis. Millions have fled the economic collapse. The government and the opposition are at each other's throats. We wanted to get a snap shot of the country at this moment in time.

TOBY MUSE CARACAS 'We're on a road trip to meet normal Venezuelans and understand how they feel and what their hopes are for the future."

As we travel through towns, we notice how many stores are closed. We stop by a hairdressers. Jhoan Ascanio owns this shop, but says since the escalation of the political and economic tension, business has collapsed.

JHOAN ASCANIO HAIRDRESSER "Business is down by 80% because of the situation in the country. We survive with the few clients who still come - every day prices rise, and we can't keep our business on track."

He no longer has any faith in the government of Nicolas Maduro, and wants a new leader to take charge. He was preparing to close for the day when a client entered. Fatima Pimentel says many of her friends can't afford the beauty salon, needing to spend the money on what food there is. Still, a trip here can be therapy in stressful times.

FATIMA PIMENTEL HAIR SALON CUSTOMER "I used to come every week. Now it's gone down. Only when necessary or I have a social engagement."

Toby: "What's the engagement today?"

Fatima: "Today I want to look beautiful."

Driving through the country, you get the feeling that everyone is just trying to get by. Hyperinflation is strangling the economy.

TOBY MUSE CARACAS "This is some of the money I'm bringing along - here there are 1,900 bills, 200,000 bolivares or just 39 dollars."

Venezuelans are polarized. There are millions of so-called "ninis", those not convinced by the opposition or the government. Janet Salazar is one of them. She and her husband have been cattle ranching for years. But with the meat market slowing down, they decided to invest in a coffee processing plant that had shut down five years ago. She says that given the current challenges, Venezuelans have to constantly look for opportunities.

JANET SALAZAR COFFEE PROCESSOR "This situation has led us to search for new ways to survive, to keep going, to produce. Life is about working."

The business is going well, and they're processing more than a ton of coffee a week. But she hopes to double their output in a year.

JANET SALAZAR COFFEE PROCESSOR "We're passing through a critical time. But I have faith in Venezuelans. We'll get through this."

By now, we've driven hundreds of kilometers. To fill up this van, it costs less than 10 cents, a legacy of subsidized fuel prices amid tremendous oil resources.

We return to Caracas. Food shortages have people trying to grow their own supplies. Orailene Macarri started this urban farm for people in her neighborhood. Here she grows vegetables and raises animals and fish.

She supported the late President Hugo Chavez and sees this urban farm as part of his legacy to feed poor Venezuelans and make the country more productive.

ORAILENE MACARRI URBAN FARMER "My objective in this revolution is to continue fighting for a better world, a humanity with more tolerance."

Venezuela is at a crossroads. The present situation is unsustainable, but what comes next is anyone's guess. Toby Muse, CGTN, Caracas, Venezuela.