Chavez, Private Sector Face Off Over Food Shortages in Venezuela

Chavez, Private Sector Face Off Over Food Shortages in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela -- A former paratrooper, President Hugo Chavez is used to battling his adversaries without giving an inch. This time, Chavez has his sights set on Venezuela's food industry, which he blames for shortages that have left many Venezuelans without basic foods, especially beef, chicken, milk and sugar.

"On the hoarders and speculators, I declare war," Chavez said on his "Hello, President" radio show recently. He added: "If you don't want to sell beef, don't -- we will sell it. But we're going to take away the butcher shop, we're going to expropriate the butcher shop, no matter how small, because they are obligated to open and sell to the public."

A new law promises up to six years prison time, heavy fines and even possible expropriation for food hoarders and price speculators. Chavez blames the shortages on greedy capitalists, claiming that they are blackmailing Venezuelans by refusing to sell at regulated prices. Food industry representatives, however, attribute the shortages to Chavez's economic policies.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review