Complejo Deportivo Socialista (La Bombonerita)

The Complejo Deportivo Socialista sits on Avenida Andrés Eloy Blanco in Puerto Cabello. The city hall built it, and architect Jesús Maza designed it. It is a working venue, compact and functional, sitting near the Cruz Roja hospital and the commercial centre.

The ground opened in 2017. Academia Puerto Cabello plays here, a side in the Venezuelan Primera División. They do not fill the seats. The capacity is a matter of debate; some figures suggest 7,000, others 7,500, and a single source claims 2,200. The numbers do not add up, so the focus stays on the pitch. It is natural grass, kept tight.

The complex includes more than just the stadium. There are conference rooms and chess rooms, spaces for commerce that sit unused for most of the week. A renovation in 2021 improved the lighting and locker rooms, but the structure remains unchanged. The wind comes off the Caribbean coast and moves through the stands without obstruction. There is no roar here, only the sound of players passing the ball. The ground does not demand attention. It exists for the team, and for the few hundred people who turn up on match days. The rest of the complex is quiet.