Lootings soar in Venezuela amid food scarcity

[Zibago]

Lootings soar in Venezuela amid food scarcity


More than 10 incidents occur daily, local group says, in a country reeling from economic crisis and high inflation.


Venezuela's economy is in tatters and food shortages have reached critical levels as the country battles the world's highest inflation rate and a deep drop in oil production, its only source of revenue.

Street protests and lootings are now a daily occurrence. At least four people have died in these protests and looting crackdowns in recent days in the South American nation.

Keric Valladares, a bakery worker, told Al Jazeera how his shop was ransacked by looters.

"It all happened in five or six minutes," he said.

"One doesn't know what can happen in a moment like this, because Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. If they can kill you for a mobile phone, imagine what can happen here."

READ MORE: 400 arrested for looting in Venezuela

Valladares explained how he was forced to abandon his bakery when looters took the cash register and broke the glass box where the cigarettes are kept.

"The people did this are from the area," he said. "It is Venezuelans hurting Venezuelans."

According to a local monitoring group, the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, more than 10 incidents of looting are occurring daily across the nation of 30 million people, which is suffering a brutal recession.

Venezuela's political opposition says President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez are to blame for failed socialist economic policies.

The opposition is pursuing a recall referendum this year in an effort to remove him from office.

But Maduro, 53, says his foes are waging an "economic war" against him and seeking to foment a coup.

Government officials say there is not enough time this year to organise a referendum.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/lootings-soar-venezuelans-food-scarcity-160617083825927.html
@Hamartia Antidote @waz @Kaptaan

 

[flamer84]

But Maduro, 53, says his foes are waging an "economic war" against him and seeking to foment a coup.

After nationalising everything in site by force he has the audacity to complain why investors are not throwing money at his utopian crapphole.Enjoy socialism lads,I'm so glad I ws only 5 when commies were booted out in here,I got to live most of my life as a free man.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Prayers are with the people of Venezuela hopefully the oil prices will stabilize

 

[Zibago]

Prayers are with the people of Venezuela hopefully the oil prices will stabilize

Nah i like the lower price

After nationalising everything in site by force he has the audacity to complain why investors are not throwing money at his utopian crapphole.Enjoy socialism lads,I'm so glad I ws only 5 when commies were booted out in here,I got to live most of my life as a free man.

Socialism can only work with slight fusion with capitalism where private entities are given a decent breathing space and capacity to grow without govt fingering

 

[haviZsultan]

Venezuela also has a problem with rampant crime. Its homicide rate is second only to Honduras. Central and South American is a tar pit of death-as the western media portrays it. Don't know how correct the figures are.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Lootings soar in Venezuela amid food scarcity


More than 10 incidents occur daily, local group says, in a country reeling from economic crisis and high inflation.


Venezuela's economy is in tatters and food shortages have reached critical levels as the country battles the world's highest inflation rate and a deep drop in oil production, its only source of revenue.

Street protests and lootings are now a daily occurrence. At least four people have died in these protests and looting crackdowns in recent days in the South American nation.

Keric Valladares, a bakery worker, told Al Jazeera how his shop was ransacked by looters.

"It all happened in five or six minutes," he said.

"One doesn't know what can happen in a moment like this, because Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. If they can kill you for a mobile phone, imagine what can happen here."

READ MORE: 400 arrested for looting in Venezuela

Valladares explained how he was forced to abandon his bakery when looters took the cash register and broke the glass box where the cigarettes are kept.

"The people did this are from the area," he said. "It is Venezuelans hurting Venezuelans."

According to a local monitoring group, the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, more than 10 incidents of looting are occurring daily across the nation of 30 million people, which is suffering a brutal recession.

Venezuela's political opposition says President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez are to blame for failed socialist economic policies.

The opposition is pursuing a recall referendum this year in an effort to remove him from office.

But Maduro, 53, says his foes are waging an "economic war" against him and seeking to foment a coup.

Government officials say there is not enough time this year to organise a referendum.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/lootings-soar-venezuelans-food-scarcity-160617083825927.html
@Hamartia Antidote @waz @Kaptaan

Shops shut after deadly looting in Venezuela crisis

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/shops-shut-after-deadly/2881776.html

Venezuelan police have arrested hundreds of people as the country's food crisis erupted into deadly looting this week, heightening hardship and political uncertainty in the impoverished oil-producing nation

CARACAS/CUMANA: Residents barricaded their shops on Friday (Jun 17) in a Venezuelan city hit by violence after the country's food crisis erupted into deadly looting.

The unrest came days ahead of a new key stage in the opposition's bid to remove President Nicolas Maduro from office: the authentication of signatures calling for a recall referendum.

Police arrested hundreds of people in the latest unrest, which heightened hardship and political uncertainty in the impoverished oil-producing nation.

Some shop owners welded their shutters closed in the old colonial city of Cumana, where dozens of stores were looted on Tuesday.

The Caribbean coastal city is the latest flashpoint in a crisis that has killed at least five people so far.

"It ended in total ruin because the businesses had not only their stock pillaged but also their furniture. It was total destruction," said Ruben Saud, president of the Cumana Chamber of Commerce.

The army was sent in to keep order in Cumana after Tuesday's outbreak of looting, which erupted during a protest against food shortages.

The chaos started when gangs of looters on motorcycles raided trucks transporting supplies. "They were beating and robbing drivers. They pillaged trucks, bakeries and supermarkets," Saud told AFP.

The state governor said more than 400 people were arrested in Cumana.

President Nicolas Maduro blamed the disturbances on his political opponents. He warned that those detained in the looting would receive tough penalties.

"They wanted to impose anarchy and madness," he said in a television and radio broadcast late Thursday. "They are in jail and will be tried. They are facing charges that could bring up to 20 years in jail. I have ordered the toughest jail sentences possible."

HUNGRY BABIES

In Cumana, housewife Mari Febres, 45, was waiting for news of her two daughters who went missing during Tuesday's disturbances.

"They went out into the street to look for food for their children," Febres said. "The police have them but they won't tell me anything. I have six grandchildren who want feeding. Two of them are still breastfeeding."

At least five people have died in disturbances in recent days, according to the state prosecution service.

The opposition blames Maduro for an economic crisis in which Venezuelans are suffering shortages of basic foods and goods.

Maduro blames an "economic war" allegedly waged against his leftist government by the business elite.

He accuses the opposition centre-right National Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition of fomenting unrest to spark a foreign intervention to unseat him. He vows to defend the socialist "revolution" launched by his late predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Even in troubled Cumana, the government has its defenders. "This area is 100 per cent Chavist," said Rafael Gutierrez, a community leader in the north of the city.

"We have stuck by it in good times and bad. We do not understand why people in the community want to get involved in the MUD. They have been rejected more than once in elections."

COUNTING SIGNATURES

Venezuela is suffering an economic crisis brought on by the plunge in prices for its crucial oil exports.

Maduro is resisting efforts from his opponents to remove him from office through a referendum. The president has warned he may decree emergency measures if confronted with violence.

Such measures could prevent the recall referendum from taking place.

Next week, opposition supporters will carry out the latest stage in their campaign from Monday to Friday.

Those who signed an initial petition calling for a referendum must submit their fingerprints to the electoral authorities in order to authenticate their signatures.

Of the 1.3 million signatures recorded by the electoral board in the initial petition, at least 200,000 must be authenticated to pass to the next phase. The next step will require yet more signatures to be collected.

The government allowed some 300 prison inmates to hold a demonstration in downtown Caracas to argue that many signatures collected by the opposition were fraudulent.

Wearing blue, yellow and pink prison uniforms and chanting "Fraud!" the male and female inmates were closely watched by the military.

The list submitted by the opposition included signatures of "prisoners who never would have been able to sign, even if they wanted to," Prisons Minister Iris Varela said at the event.

She said the supposed signatures of more than 1,300 prisoners were included.

 

[Zibago]

Shops shut after deadly looting in Venezuela crisis

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/shops-shut-after-deadly/2881776.html

Venezuelan police have arrested hundreds of people as the country's food crisis erupted into deadly looting this week, heightening hardship and political uncertainty in the impoverished oil-producing nation

CARACAS/CUMANA: Residents barricaded their shops on Friday (Jun 17) in a Venezuelan city hit by violence after the country's food crisis erupted into deadly looting.

The unrest came days ahead of a new key stage in the opposition's bid to remove President Nicolas Maduro from office: the authentication of signatures calling for a recall referendum.

Police arrested hundreds of people in the latest unrest, which heightened hardship and political uncertainty in the impoverished oil-producing nation.

Some shop owners welded their shutters closed in the old colonial city of Cumana, where dozens of stores were looted on Tuesday.

The Caribbean coastal city is the latest flashpoint in a crisis that has killed at least five people so far.

"It ended in total ruin because the businesses had not only their stock pillaged but also their furniture. It was total destruction," said Ruben Saud, president of the Cumana Chamber of Commerce.

The army was sent in to keep order in Cumana after Tuesday's outbreak of looting, which erupted during a protest against food shortages.

The chaos started when gangs of looters on motorcycles raided trucks transporting supplies. "They were beating and robbing drivers. They pillaged trucks, bakeries and supermarkets," Saud told AFP.

The state governor said more than 400 people were arrested in Cumana.

President Nicolas Maduro blamed the disturbances on his political opponents. He warned that those detained in the looting would receive tough penalties.

"They wanted to impose anarchy and madness," he said in a television and radio broadcast late Thursday. "They are in jail and will be tried. They are facing charges that could bring up to 20 years in jail. I have ordered the toughest jail sentences possible."

HUNGRY BABIES

In Cumana, housewife Mari Febres, 45, was waiting for news of her two daughters who went missing during Tuesday's disturbances.

"They went out into the street to look for food for their children," Febres said. "The police have them but they won't tell me anything. I have six grandchildren who want feeding. Two of them are still breastfeeding."

At least five people have died in disturbances in recent days, according to the state prosecution service.

The opposition blames Maduro for an economic crisis in which Venezuelans are suffering shortages of basic foods and goods.

Maduro blames an "economic war" allegedly waged against his leftist government by the business elite.

He accuses the opposition centre-right National Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition of fomenting unrest to spark a foreign intervention to unseat him. He vows to defend the socialist "revolution" launched by his late predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Even in troubled Cumana, the government has its defenders. "This area is 100 per cent Chavist," said Rafael Gutierrez, a community leader in the north of the city.

"We have stuck by it in good times and bad. We do not understand why people in the community want to get involved in the MUD. They have been rejected more than once in elections."

COUNTING SIGNATURES

Venezuela is suffering an economic crisis brought on by the plunge in prices for its crucial oil exports.

Maduro is resisting efforts from his opponents to remove him from office through a referendum. The president has warned he may decree emergency measures if confronted with violence.

Such measures could prevent the recall referendum from taking place.

Next week, opposition supporters will carry out the latest stage in their campaign from Monday to Friday.

Those who signed an initial petition calling for a referendum must submit their fingerprints to the electoral authorities in order to authenticate their signatures.

Of the 1.3 million signatures recorded by the electoral board in the initial petition, at least 200,000 must be authenticated to pass to the next phase. The next step will require yet more signatures to be collected.

The government allowed some 300 prison inmates to hold a demonstration in downtown Caracas to argue that many signatures collected by the opposition were fraudulent.

Wearing blue, yellow and pink prison uniforms and chanting "Fraud!" the male and female inmates were closely watched by the military.

The list submitted by the opposition included signatures of "prisoners who never would have been able to sign, even if they wanted to," Prisons Minister Iris Varela said at the event.

She said the supposed signatures of more than 1,300 prisoners were included.

Oh shit this will make life hell for people who are not so well off