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.
Chavez, Private Sector Face Off Over Food Shortages in Venezuela
