Posted on 11/11/2007 9:54:01 PM PST by james500
Venezuelan construction worker Gustavo Arteaga has no trouble finding jobs in this OPEC nation's booming economy, but on a recent Monday morning he skipped work as part of a more complicated search -- for milk.
The 37-year-old father-of-two has for months scrambled to find basic products like cooking oil, beef and milk, despite leftist President Hugo Chavez's social program that promises to provide low-cost groceries to the majority poor.
"It takes a miracle to find milk," said Arteaga, who spent two hours in line outside a store in the poor Caracas neighborhood of Eucaliptus. "Don't you see I'm here slaving away to see if I can get even one or two of those (containers)?"
Venezuelan consumers are increasingly facing periodic shortages of basic food products as the economy shows signs of overheating amid record revenues from an oil boom.
The shortages have increased skepticism of Chavez's economic policies and provided a political backdrop to campaigning this month for a referendum on a new constitution that he says is needed to make Venezuela a socialist state.
Businesses say price controls on staple foods are so low they discourage investment and force stores to sell at a loss.
The government says the problem is caused by growing demand by poor citizens who benefit from social programs, exaggerated media hype and food hoarding by unscrupulous businesses.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
She had better get use to waiting if Chavez is in charge. Just ask the Cubans.
It depends upon what your definition of voting is, is.
or
It depends upon what your definition of democracy is, is.
And when the oil revenue dries up for whatever reason, it will be even more difficult to find basic foodstuffs. Yet the people voted for him (in a probably slanted but still probably accurate election). You get what you vote for, and this is just the start.
...and blind hogs too!
Only socialism/liberalism could cause food shortages in such a food growing utopia like Venezuela. Then again, look at the starving-to-death former bread basket of Africa, Zimbabwe.
sounds like another regime i remember from my youth.
such stupid people
I have zero sympathy for Venezuelans. The fools voted for this thug and continue to vote for him, so they get what they deserve. It appears that the Venezuelans who understand capitalism are coming to Florida, where their talent and initiative are welcome.
When you vote for a commie, you starve under communism. The idiots who support Hillary Clinton should pay close attention.
Chavez, bringing the peace and prosperity of the old Soviet Union to his people. I hope they stock up on toilet paper. Things could get tough down there.
Picking up an old 52 Chevy might be a good idea too. I understand from Fidel, they last a long time.
LMAO
Venezuelans, please wake up.
Dude, call Sean Penn and tell him to stop off and grab a gallon of milk the next time he comes down.
I find the follwing two statements extremely funny:
Supermarket shelves remain stocked with aged whiskey and imported wine, but for up to 25 percent of staple food products this year supplies have been irregular, according to public opinion and economic research group Datanalisis.
Now the combination of the controls and unprecedented consumer spending ...struggling to find ingredients it needs.
So the shelves remain "stocked with aged whiskey and imported wine". I guess all of the "unprecedented prosperity" goes to purchasing staples.
Do these people even realize what idiots they sound like?
Gee, sounds like the thinking in 99.99% of American colleges; let me call then “institutions of lower learning”.
This type of thinking is totally true at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) - the liberal school of liberal schools; don’t think anything but socialist thoughts there or they will silence you on way or the other!
Good one. It’s funny because it’s true.
“Venezuelan consumers are increasingly facing periodic shortages of basic food products as the economy shows signs of overheating amid record revenues from an oil boom.”
This is what happens when 60% of your population is dirt poor.
The government will just buy your vote. I bet for the truly poor their life’s are much better than before.
Before Chavez (I spit on you) , all the oil money was leaving the country now at least some of it goes to the people.
They just traded freedom for food but for many that is a better deal than what they had.
I am waiting for Mr. Chavez to say, "Let them drink oil!"
If the middle class can’t get milk, sugar, flour and meat what exactly are the poor eating?
Looks to me like they traded freedom for bullets to the head when they finally get enough of Chavez.
More western media lies...
(/sarcasm)
Venezuelan consumers are increasingly facing periodic shortages of basic food products as the economy shows signs of overheating amid record revenues from an oil boom.
Took a real economic genius there to re-invent the bread lines of Soviet Union and food shortages of Cuba.
The 37-year-old father-of-two has for months scrambled to find basic products like cooking oil, beef and milk, despite leftist President Hugo Chavez’s social program that promises to provide low-cost groceries to the majority poor.
Well, Chavez’s programs worked. It doesn’t cost anything if nothing is there. However, I’d bet there’s plenty on the black market - for those who can afford the stuff.
Cuba writ large.
Yeah, Danny Glover can bring some peanut butter and Michael Moore can stop by KFC on his way to the airport.
“The 37-year-old father-of-two has for months scrambled to find basic products like cooking oil, beef and milk, despite leftist President Hugo Chavez’s social program that promises to provide low-cost groceries to the majority poor.”
Isn’t communism just wonderful...The idiots who actually support this guy deserve what they get.
Amazingly evil communism ping.
I have some colleagues in Venezuela and they believe that this situation is Chavez’s achilles heel.
There is no lo loyalty to Chavez at any level other than the fact he gives hand outs to people. Once those handouts dry up, he is in real trouble.
Nestle and Cargill are the two biggest food suppliers in VE. Chavez attempted to close down Cargill awhile back and quickly recinded the order (Except for those who are working in the offices - figure that out?).
An executive at Cargill told one of my associates that despite the infrastructure and security hazards throughout the country, they have a very reliable supply chain that gets food to even the most remote sections of the country.
Any major disruption in this distrubution could send the country into starvation in a short period of time.
Venezuela is not like Cuba in the sense that the infrastructure and supply chain was built by the state. This is private enterprise and once the incentive disappears, things go away very quickly.
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
Sorry Gustavo. The milk money is going to the Rooskies and Chi-coms for arms to protect your new ‘dear leader’.
As predictable as the rising sun, yet the press seems to somehow be surprised. Can they not read?
This is being caused by price controls and Chavez printing money. Prosperity doesn't cause inflation or shortages.
They'll have have to get tough with those hoarders. They need a War On Hoarding.
I am sooo looking forward to seeing hugo’s battered corpse hanging upside-down from a lamp post.
>>shortages of basic food products as the economy shows signs of overheating amid record revenues from an oil boom.
Such economic genius at ABC/Reuters. An overheated economy is *not* the cause for a shortage of a basic food product. Period.
While all that misery happens other clowns visit his excellency
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
If the middle class can’t get milk, sugar, flour and meat what exactly are the poor eating?
Communism probably does raise the standards of people who had absolutely nothing to begin with. People that had no medical care might now receive an aspirin. But in the process, the middle class is destroyed.
If they have no milk, let them drink Chablis
If the dumbocraps get elected, all Western civilization will look like that image of N. Korea. The global warming drum beat on almost every network and cable program was incessant this weekend. They will ride that global warming horse to defeat any advanced civilization that needs energy to prosper.
.....It appears that the Venezuelans who understand capitalism are coming to Florida......
These would be the Aristo’s, the rich who managed the economy to the detriment of the compasenas. They are responsible for Chavez eventhough they did not vote for him.
Only a leftist idiot could take the golden economic opportunity offered by a resource boom and foment food shortages. Akin to getting 10% on a 100 question true-false quiz, even a chimpanzee couldn’t do that - it takes skill and hard work to screw up on such a massive scale.
It's impossible to rationalize socialism when it's put in such a simple statement as this picture.
How is that so?
If one goes from having little to loosing his liberty and
then his life, how is that so?
The only thing communism is good for is DEATH.
Hundred's of millions of lives and counting. 
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