Venezuela’s Food Shortages Trigger Long Lines, Hunger and Looting

[7962]

Source: WSJ

LA SIBUCARA, Venezuela—Hours after they looted and set fire to a National Guard command post in this sun-baked corner of Venezuela earlier this month, a mob infuriated by worsening food shortages rammed trucks into the smoldering edifice, reducing it mostly to rubble.

The incident was just one of numerous violent clashes that have flared in pockets around the country in recent weeks as Venezuelans wait for hours in long supermarket lines for basics like milk and rice. Shortages have made hunger a palpable concern for many Wayuu Indians who live here at the northern tip of Venezuela’s 1,300-mile border with Colombia.

‘We are going very hungry here and the children are suffering a lot.’
—María Palma, 55, of La Sibucara
The soldiers had been deployed to stem rampant food smuggling and price speculation, which President Nicolás Maduro blames for triple-digit inflation and scarcity. But after they seize contraband goods, the troops themselves often become targets of increasingly desperate people.

“What’s certain is that we are going very hungry here and the children are suffering a lot,” said María Palma, a 55-year-old grandmother who on a recent blistering hot day had been standing in line at the grocery store since 3 a.m. before walking away empty-handed at midday.

Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuelas-food-shortages-trigger-long-lines-hunger-and-looting-1440581400

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Maduro's approval rating is lower than George W Bush's and Congress. If THAT doesn't spell "failure" I dont know what does.
It's only a matter of time before the people rise against the criminals running their country into the ground, imo.

[Marrah_G]

1. It is disgusting that this is allowed to happen

We have an amazing, plentiful planet and hunger is something we could completely stop if there was a collective will.

[ieoeja]

4. We are doing it to them on purpose.

The United States tried the usual coup strategy. But Chavez outwitted the US. So we switched to market manipulation to bring down the Venezuela government. Chave is gone, but even if he were still there I'm not sure there is much he could do short of implementing a full scale dictatorship and simply forcing people to raise the necessary crops. Cuba has proven that communism can work even if it does not work as well as people may want.

Venezuela is being forced to abandon socialism. They can go either communist or unfettered capitalist. Not sure the geniuses running our national security realize that they may be pushing Venezuela to embrace full scale communism. It seems our national security apparatus is becoming increasingly myopic.

[Throd]

5. Or Maduro is an incompetent dolt running a corrupt regime.

[snooper2]

6. you actually believe that...

[leftynyc]

7. Sigh

Another whine about how the US is the cause for the ills all over the planet. How about Maduro is a fucking asshole who doesn't know what the fuck he's doing? Did you consider that before assigning the blame to the US?

[ieoeja]

8. You seriously believe that after the failed coup attempt, we decided to do ... nothing?

[leftynyc]

9. Spare me

I don't care what we did or didn't do. Maduro is still an incompetent asshole - he's an embarrassment.

[christx30]

10. You think a government can

expropriate anything it wants, refuse to abide by contracts, not pay its bills, impose draconian currency and price controls, and people will still do business with it?
We don't need to do anything against them. Maduro is screwing up his country just fine without us.
I know if I sold anything, I'd rather keep it here in the States in a warehouse that attempt to sell it down there. Maduro's people would probably steal it.

[Freddie Stubbs]

21. So, what exactly are we doing that is causing Venezuela trouble?

[Dr. Strange]

41. Letting Maduro run the country.

I believe the CIA refers to it as "Project: Sit Back and Watch Maduro Run the Country".

[Dr. Strange]

44. That's the irony, isn't it?

If Maduro gets elected, it's Venezuela deciding for themselves. But when Venezuela reaps any negative consequences of his policies, it's because of US intervention.

Obama and the CIA are so sneaky!

[Amishman]

33. so our government is incompetent in other foreign intervention attempts but ninjas in VZ?

If the CIA really was this good at disrupting countries; then Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and countless other historically hostile nations would have fallen apart decades ago.

[7962]

12. "Cuba has proven that communism can work.." Comedy GOLD right there!

All I've been hearing is how Cuba has suffered SO much because of our 1-country embargo, now you're saying Cuba is a success story?

[ieoeja]

17. They have suffered much. But they have also succeeded *as a sovereign nation*.

Cuba survived the embargo for decades. Obama is simply recognizing the fact that Cuba is going to survive no matter how long we kept it up. So to that extent, yes, their government "worked".

[7962]

19. So has North Korea

They, like Cuba, gets tons of supplies from other countries to prop them up. Cuba has floundered since the Russians cut back their support.
Sure the country still exists, hardly a communist victory

[ieoeja]

27. But they have maintained their sovereignty. That is all I am saying.

I never said it was a "good" option. I just said it was doable. They could go communist (or fascist, we know that works too) and operate as a self contained entity.

This thread, lest we get too far off topic, is about people starving in Venezuela. Venezuela was exporting more food than they imported. They can certainly feed themselves.

If people are starving it is because the current model, capitalism, is not currently working for the country. You know perfectly well that capitalism works pretty darn good. It is my belief that it is not currently working in Venezuela because the United States and our allies are gaming the system not to work because Venezula nationalized the oil industry. Hence the two options: (1) unfettered capitalism or (2) totalitarianism (communist, fascist, whatever brand floats their boat).

And if they go the communist route, and if we are gaming the system as would be our normal response to the failed coup, it will be largely our fault for forcing them to the above 2 choices.

Which brings us back to Cuba! They only went full bore communist because we declared them our enemy. We've seen this picture before.

[EX500rider]

30. "because Venezuela nationalized the oil industry."

They nationalized their oil back in the 1970's About 70% of the oil producing countries have. Are we trying to destabilize all those countries too?

[Recursion]

36. PDVSA was formed 40 years ago

That's a surprisingly delayed reaction on the illuminati's part.

[hack89]

23. Actually no - Cuba realized how fucked they really were economically

Cuba recognized that the billions in annual subsidies they get from Venezuela to keep their economy afloat was coming to an end. They knew that without aligning their economy with the US economy, they soon would be swinging from the lampposts during the second Cuban revolution.

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. What specific actions are the US government taking that is causing Venezuela problems?

[ieoeja]

22. Don't work for the NSA. Of course, if I did I wouldn't admit it. I certainly wouldn't answer you.

So I will make guesses instead!

#1. We declared them our enemy. Being an enemy of the United States makes a country look extremely unattractive to foreign investors.

#2. The coup attempt. Instability makes a country look extremely unattractive to foreign investors.

#3. There was very little fluctuation in the Venezuelan currency before the coup. The fluctuation began afterwards.

I am familar with a company that, at the height of Chavez' rule, was doing more business in Venezuela than the rest of Latin America combined (despite #1 and #2 above). But because of the currency issues, they made less in VZ than in any one of the other Latin American countries by itself.

I would bet that we are gaming the currency market with regards to the Bolivar.

#4. Read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man for more possibilities.

[hack89]

24. Their currency problems are self inflicted

as they implemented crazy currency laws to artificially inflate the value of the Bolivar.

[Adrahil]

25. FFS.. You know why businesses are avoiding VZ?

Because if they are lucky enough to not have their property outright seized and nationalized, they are unlikely to ever get paid.

I swear to Jeebus.....

[EX500rider]

31. "We declared them our enemy."

So their biggest export and import partner (the US) is out to get them somehow?

[christx30]

34. We've been enemies with Iran for

40 years. They aren't falling apart. Maybe because they have people that know what they're doing.
The real reason investors are scared of Venezuela is because they don't pay their creditors. They outright steal every foreign owned thing they can get their hands on. All in the name of the "revolution".
No foreign investor is going to risk it. Honestly, do you blame them? I wouldn't lend a junkie, no matter how bad things are for him.
They can solve this by changing some laws. I'm not talking about fully embracing capitalism and slobbering at the tear of the U.S. I'm talking a relaxation of a few controls that are in the way of anyone making any money there. If there is no money, no reason to go there.

[Bacchus4.0]

35. The Ven government implemented the price controls and exchange rate, not the US nt

[Marrah_G]

28. Human beings, not specifically Americans.

[hughee99]

42. Yeah! Damn you George Bush!

[Hortensis]

2. Those poor people. With national wealth largely concentrated in the hands of a few, much of the

populace was still living in poverty, and many desperately poor, despite Venezuela's extravagant oil wealth. Now, what do people with no savings DO as their economy collapses along with world oil prices, their currency devalued, their jobs gone, inflation soars, and food shortages grow? No wonder they're beginning to worry that starvation is a real possibility.

[joshcryer]

3. The most tragic thing is how they wasted oil windfalls.

And implemented the exact wrong policies.

Venezuela could be doing better than Colombia and Chile combined.

[Dont call me Shirley]

11. And here goes another victim of the American foreign policy disaster, destroy rape and pillage.

[7962]

13. So its Obama's fault. Wow.

[Dont call me Shirley]

14. This rash of American foreign policy started waaaaaaayyyyyyy before Obama.

[7962]

15. Well, Obama has been here for 7 yrs and Maduro for 2.

You cant put this blame on us. At all. The "revolution" is a farce and will implode soon enough.

[Dont call me Shirley]

29. With all the military involvement in the toppling of gvts all over the world, no doubt it's a spawn

of the us, esp since Chavez called bush the devil. They want that oil!!!! It's all about the oil, baby!

[EX500rider]

32. They already send us their oil...

......as we are both their largest export & import partner.

[Recursion]

37. We already get their oil

Never been to a Citgo?

[Dont call me Shirley]

38. I remember Citgo. Chavez nationalized much of Venezuelas oil.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/01/venezuela-nationalizations-idUSN1E79I0Z520111201

[Recursion]

39. No, Venezuela nationalized its oil in the 1970s

Last edited Sat Aug 29, 2015, 11:59 AM - Edit history (1)

Citgo is the American arm of their national oil company

[Dont call me Shirley]

40. Ok, privatization then.

[whatthehey]

16. It's fuck all to do with US policy why they are running out of food

It's entirely because Venezuela will not allow what little real currency they have to leave the country so suppliers aren't being paid. The US is perfectly fine with companies like my employer shipping to Venezuela. We just prefer to be paid for it.

[Throd]

18. My biggest client is expanding all over Central and South America.

Except for Venezuela for some reason.

[COLGATE4]

26. Hard to imagine why. nt