Posted on 01/18/2003 4:08:14 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
National Guard troops raided a privately owned bottling plant Friday, taking water, soda and malt beverages to distribute to Venezuelans suffering through food shortages caused by a 47-day-old general strike.
Heavily armed troops, accompanied by consumer protection authorities, raided the plant in the central city of Valencia, 66 miles from Caracas. The plant is owned by Panamco, the Coca-Cola bottler in Venezuela.
Soldiers fired tear gas and used flat-edged swords to disperse protesters before commandeering stocked trucks and driving away.
President Hugo Chavez warned food producers he would send soldiers to seize plants and distribution centers hoarding staple foods. Fresh milk, flour and bottled water have become scarce in many regions.
"Taking into account that collective rights preside over personal rights, we are proceeding to distribute these products to the population," said National Guard Div. Gen. Felipe Acosta, a Chavez ally.
He then grabbed a malt beverage, drank it and belched in front of television cameras.
Romulo Salazar, Panamco's sales manager, said there was "no reason whatsoever" for the seizures.
"We don't understand why they are taking bottles of soda when they came here to check up on distribution of the mineral water we produce," he said.
Salazar said the company has not operated because its transport fleet uses gasoil, which has become scarce due to the strike, and it does not have sugar, a prime ingredient in its products.
Chavez's opponents — including the country's largest labor union, business chamber and dissident executives at the state-run oil company — called the strike Dec. 2 to force the leftist leader from power.
The stoppage has caused severe food and fuel shortages throughout this oil-rich — yet poverty-stricken — South American country of 24 million.
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What will the takers take, when the producers stop producing?
/john
They will eat each other.
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