Venezuela, The Starving Socialist Dystopia (Part 1)

[method115]

This crisis has long since lost any real humor. Malnutrition of children can cause irreparable damage to their lives and to society. Maduro needs to set aside ideology and get food in.

Very very sad situation. Hope this is resolved quickly.

 

[Rod1]

This crisis has long since lost any real humor. Malnutrition of children can cause irreparable damage to their lives and to society. Maduro needs to set aside ideology and get food in.

They may end up voting for communists when they grow up.

 

[Rod1]

Socialism, ladies and gents.

Feel bad for these people. Are there any international charities able to deliver food to them, or is their shithead commie leader pretending like he doesn't need charity?

Also, how many jokes have already been made about accepting Venezuelan beauty queens as refugees?

According to an online friend, they will confiscate food at customs and they dont really like smart people leaving the country either.

Its a hellhole, even by latin american standards.

 

[Social Distance Warrior]

Holy shit...I had no idea it got that bad...

How soon until people resort to cannibalism?

 

[Arkain2K]

Socialism, ladies and gents.

Feel bad for these people. Are there any international charities able to deliver food to them, or is their shithead commie leader pretending like he doesn't need charity?

We've already discussed that earlier (the details as per usual are in the Thread Index in the OP).

Long story short: Many countries and charitable organizations wanted to help the starving Venezuelans, but the Maduro-controlled (Kangaroo) Supreme Court of Venezuela declared humanitarian aid to be Unconstitutional, because it would leads to "foreign intervention".

As of today, there's still no such thing as a food crisis in Venezuela, according to Maduro. It's only propaganda and lies, perpertuated by the "enemies of the state".

 

[Rod1]

Holy shit...I had no idea it got that bad...

How soon until people resort to cannibalism?

How long until they revolt more likely.

 

[Orgasmo]

I wonder who are more dellusional religious fanatics or communists? my vote goes for the communists.

The Communists in China are under no delusion about the failures of Communism.

 

[Letssnuggle]

Or basing ur whole economy on oil and watching as it becomes as cheap as water
Lets not pretend the right woulda done much better

There's always an excuse when socialism fails.

 

[7437]

This crisis has long since lost any real humor. Malnutrition of children can cause irreparable damage to their lives and to society. Maduro needs to set aside ideology and get food in.

I dont think that will happen

 

[Rod1]

The Communists in China are under no delusion about the failures of Communism.

After the great famine and the cultural revolution its no wonder.

Im pretty sure there are tons of dellusional Maoists still in China, and im pretty sure there will be tons of dellusional Chavistas after Maduro gets ousted.

 

[Thought Criminal]

They should just come to america! Liberals will welcome them with free housing, free food, free phones, employment! Diversity is our strength!! Enrich us culturally!


Na but for everybodys sake i hope they dont come here and can get their own shit together.

 

[Gandhi]

More than 120,000 Venezuelans cross border to Colombia shopping for scarce food, medicine
July 18, 2016

MORE than 100,000 Venezuelans, some of whom drove through the night in caravans, crossed into Colombia over the weekend to hunt for food and medicine that are in short supply at home.

It was the second weekend in a row that Venezuela’s socialist government opened the long-closed border with Colombia, and by 6am. Sunday, a line of would-be shoppers snaked through the entire town of San Antonio del Tachira. Some had travelled in chartered buses from cities 10 hours away.

Venezuela’s government closed all crossings a year ago to crack down on smuggling along the 2,219 kilometre border. It complained that speculators were causing shortages by buying up subsidised food and gasoline in Venezuela and taking them to Colombia, where they could be sold for far higher prices.

But shortages have continued to mount in Venezuela amid triple-digit inflation, currency controls that have restricted imports and investment and the world oil price slump that caused a collapse in the oil revenues that fund government spending.

Although the border was heavily patrolled by Venezuelan troops, the crowds were mostly orderly amid an atmosphere of tense excitement. A few activists handed out anti-government pamphlets, looking to galvanise the frustration that has characterised food riots and long lines outside supermarkets in recent weeks.

Some of those waiting to cross made anti-government chants and sang the national anthem, but there was no appetite for confrontation. They were focused on the prospect of getting at fully stocked supermarket shelves and the opportunity to buy even non-essential indulgences like nail polish and beer before the re-closing of border crossings Sunday night.

“It’s kind of crazy day,” said Alejandro Chacon, who owns a hardware store in the nearby town of San Cristobal and was crossing the border for the first time since the closure. “It’s strange to see this, but we know we’re going to find what we want in Colombia, so it’s a nice difference.”

Colombian officials dressed in white shirts individually welcomed those arriving while police handed out cake and blasted out festive vallenato tunes, the traditional music beloved on both sides of the border. Roadside kiosks set up by entrepreneurs took payment in Venezuela’s currency for goods at a steep discount from what they cost on the black market back home.

“It’s sad to be doing this, but we also know over there we’ll find something,” said Rosa Cardenas, a 70-year-old retired schoolteacher accompanied by a 5-month-old granddaughter.

Colombian officials estimated 35,000 Venezuelans crossed the border Saturday, the first day of what Colombia’s government called a humanitarian corridor. An additional 88,000 entered Sunday, authorities said as the mad rush on products like sugar and flour led to extra supplies of staple goods being sent from other Colombian cities.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has sought to deflate talk of a humanitarian crisis and instead blames his government’s political enemies and self-serving smugglers for shortages. He dismissed as a “media show” the jarring images a few weeks ago of 500 women pushing through the border checkpoint, saying they were desperate to buy food.

On Sunday, Venezuela’s state TV ran footage of Venezuelans returning from Colombia empty-handed, dissuaded by what they called “price-gouging” and the threat of violence by their neighbours.

http://www.news.com.au/finance/econ...e/news-story/d1f41840b75dda30c96f0810608565f8

How are they accepting V currency in Columbia, it must be close to worthless. I guess it can still buy oil?

 

[Arkain2K]

Why Venezuela's oil production plunged to a 13-year low
By Matt Egan - July 12, 2016​

Crisis-stricken Venezuela has another big problem: its oil production has plunged to alarmingly-low levels.

At a time when most OPEC countries are ramping up oil output, Venezuela produced just 2.15 million barrels of crude oil per day in June, according to S&P Global Platts estimates. That's the weakest pace since February 2003, Platts said.

Venezuela's shrinking oil production is a reflection of the country's grim financial situation, which has caused rolling blackouts that have even left oil facilities in the dark. And because of how critical oil is to Venezuela's economy -- oil accounts for 96% of exports -- the declines threaten to exacerbate the already-dire situation, where a severe food shortage has led to waves of looting.

"It's coming together now in a perfect storm," said Thomas O'Donnell, a senior energy analyst at Wikistrat.

An internal report by PDVSA, Venezuela's state-owned and scandal-plagued oil giant, also showed a "steep fall" in oil output, Platts said.

OPEC numbers released on Tuesday paint a similar story. The oil cartel estimates Venezuela's production fell to 2.1 million barrels per day in June, making it the only country other than Iraq to dial back production last month. OPEC as a whole increased output by 1%, led by Iran, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

Venezuela was pumping as much as 3 million barrels a day in 2009 and 2.4 million last year, according to the International Energy Agency.

Here's why Venezuela is pumping less oil than any time in the last 13 years:

Failure to invest: Analysts have long warned that Venezuela wasn't investing enough money into its oil industry. That's a problem because oilfields naturally deteriorate over time, and so do the facilities that service the fields. These issues were masked by high prices. But with crude oil prices down by 50% from two years ago the issues are being amplified.

Power outages: Platts said Venezuela's oil sector is experiencing power rationing, which is "exacerbating" recent production declines. Venezuela has long suffered from power problems and the government recently instituted rolling blackouts. The country blames record-low water levels at a key dam, though opposition figures point to chronic corruption and mismanagement.

Sky-high costs: Venezuela is grappling with incredible inflation north of 500% as a result of the country's plummeting currency. That means oil companies and suppliers are left with higher costs than they can deal with right now. It's impacting other companies as well.

Companies find it hard to operate: Over the weekend, Kleenex maker Kimberly-Clark (KMB) suspended its business operations in Venezuela, citing the country's "rapidly escalating inflation" and "continued deterioration of economic and business conditions." Oreo-maker Mondelez and Pepsi also have said they will stop accounting for Venezuela sales. Things have gotten so bad that this week Venezuela admitted Citigroup plans to shut the country's government accounts, including the ones at its central bank, within the next 30 days. President Nicolas Maduro denounced the decision, calling it a "financial blockade."

Cash shortages: Venezuela has one of the world's largest proven reserves of oil, but the type of crude found there is very heavy and hard to refine. So, Venezuela needs to blend its crude with lighter crude from countries like Nigeria and the U.S. That expensive task has been made more difficult by payment issues caused by the financial problems. Payment issues have also led to a shortage in Venezuela on everything from bread to toilet paper.

Unfortunately for Venezuelans, the declines in production mean that crucial oil revenues may shrink further, despite the recent rise in prices to around $45 a barrel.

Despite the obvious need for Venezuela to pump more oil, Platts sees "little hope of a recovery" any time soon.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/07/12/investing/venezuela-crisis-oil-production-plunges/

 

[Arkain2K]

Venezuela — the socialist dystopia
Kelly McParland
July 13, 2016

A woman kicks the shield of a National Guard soldier during a food protest in Caracas on June 2.​

Venezuela’s glorious socialist revolution has run into another bump in the road to economic nirvana. President Nicolas Maduro, who took over from Hugo Chavez when the founder of the revolution passed away in 2013, revealed that the country’s U.S. bankers are closing its foreign reserve accounts.

Venezuela has become such a risk that Citibank gave the government 30 days’ notice that it plans to cancel the country’s accounts, including those for the central bank. Canadians accustomed to being hounded by credit card companies eager to equip them with yet another bit of plastic can appreciate how desperate things must be when the government itself can’t get a bank to handle its business.

In typical fashion, Maduro blamed the situation on shadowy enemies of the republic, mainly capitalists and foreigners, rather than on the government’s own economic illiteracy and incompetence. “Do you think they’re going to stop us with a financial blockade? No, gentlemen. No one stops Venezuela,” he proclaimed.

That raises an obvious question: stop them from doing what? Seventeen years of the glorious revolution have turned Venezuela into a basket case, unable to feed its own people, despite oil reserves that are among the largest in the world. Even as Maduro was denouncing phantom enemies, the country’s military seized five major ports, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino was put in charge of food deliveries and trucks guarded by armed troops began delivering food to neighbourhoods torn by regular riots over the scarcity of even the most basic goods.

The army now has total control over who gets to eat. The “Great Sovereign and Secure Supply Mission” gives Padrino dictatorial powers over transporting and distributing basic supplies, in addition to “controlling” prices and stimulating production. Well good luck with that. The socialist government’s efforts to “control” prices and supply are precisely what brought the country to the edge of chaos.

Like Zimbabwe before it, Venezuela is now a case study in how dingbat socialist theories can ruin an economy, despite vast natural advantages. Zimbabwe had rich agricultural and commodity resources when Robert Mugabe’s avowed Marxists took control and launched a 37-year slide into decrepitude and corruption.

Venezuela is well on it way to matching or surpassing that record. Chavez’s vision consisted of siphoning off the country’s oil wealth to subsidize a raft of benefits for the disadvantaged. The subsidized housing, medical clinics and other welfare programs were sorely needed, but, predictably, the socialists concentrated on spending the money — and helping themselves to a large chunk of it – while assuming the supply would be never-ending.

The country imports much of its food, but has had difficulty paying for it, as the economy slides into ruin. Inflation is so high, the government has difficulty printing new bills to keep up. Basic supplies are so scarce, many Venezuelans spend their days in long lines outside markets, hoping to get their hands on a few essentials.

Inevitably, a thriving black market in hoarded goods has grown up, despite efforts to crack down. To control smuggling, Maduro ordered the border with Colombia closed last August. But the food situation is so desperate, he ordered it opened for 12 hours on Sunday, during which 35,000 Venezuelans stampeded across, in search of rice, cooking oil, flour, sugar, medicine and other basic goods. Lynchings, looting and food riots have become commonplace throughout the country.

Oil accounts for 96 per cent of Venezuela’s exports, but the socialists have let the industry crumble through epic mismanagement. While excoriating capitalists, they failed to accept that without investment, the industry would starve. CNN reported Tuesday that while global oil producers are ramping up supply, Venezuela’s production is at a 13-year low, hobbled by corruption, lack of investment, uncertain power supplies, inflation and an increasing unwillingness among international firms to deal with the Maduro government.

When global giant Kimberly-Clark — which makes toilet paper, diapers and other sorely needed household essentials — said it could no longer operate in the country because of the shortage of raw materials, the government seized its factory. Maduro is also at war with domestic firms, including the country’s biggest brewery, which halted production because of a shortage of foreign currency needed to import grain.

Unable to remedy the disaster it has created, Maduro’s government has turned to the military to enforce its rule. The Wall Street Journal reports that, in addition to state-run import companies, the armed forces run the country’s biggest bank, a television station and a state mining company. Maduro said that “all the ministries, all the ministers, all the state institutions are at the service and in absolute subordination” to the new food supply apparatus.

As with so many other socialist empires, when the experiment fails, the people find themselves at the mercy of troops, tanks and men in uniforms. Even as it takes over the food supply, the government intends to cut imports by half to pay billions of dollars of bonds that come due this year. When that happens, Venezuelans may find that the new powers handed to the generals are more about controlling them than controlling the food shortage.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/kelly-mcparland-venezuela-the-socialist-dystopia

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

What's Venezuela's media like? Is it like Russia where over 90% of all media is controlled or intimidated into towing the party line? Or is it more varied than that?

 

[Arkain2K]

How are they accepting V currency in Columbia, it must be close to worthless. I guess it can still buy oil?

Venezuela's currency lost 90% of their value in the last two years, 100 bolivares (their largest bill) is worth about 10 U.S cents, so these hungry folks pretty much brings a bag full of money to get what they could.

The stores on the other side of the Colombian border had to procure money-counting machines now, 'cause they can't do it by hand anymore.

---

Venezuelans are so desperate they are streaming over the border to buy food
By Nick Miroff
July 25, 2016​

A Venezuelan woman illegally crosses the border into Colombia, with the help of a young Colombian porter. For 2,000 Colombian pesos ($.65) porters help migrants cross the river and carry their bags.​

CUCUTA, Colombia — It wasn’t much, but it was all she could afford — a sack of laundry detergent, a package of tampons and 18 rolls of Colombian toilet paper. Marys Rosalba was carrying the prized goods back to Venezuela with a tight grip and a fierce look that said: Don’t even think of trying to rob me.

The three items had cost her an entire week’s wages. “I used to have my own little market,” said Rosalba, 50. “Now I clean houses from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. When I’m not standing in line.”

Up ahead on the bridge over the Tachira River was the border checkpoint, and on the other side an oil-rich country of empty cupboards and supermarket queues stretching for blocks.

Cucuta, long known as a city of contraband goods, has suddenly became a lifeline for desperate shoppers in neighboring Venezuela, and one of the starkest illustrations yet of its panicky, gnawing hunger.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans like Rosalba have streamed across the border for basic goods in recent weeks as their country’s economy collapses under the weight of the world’s highest inflation rate and chronic mismanagement, which has produced shortages of everything from diapers to milk.

Just days before Rosalba made her meager purchases, more than 120,000 Venezuelans poured across the border as both countries agreed to briefly reopen several crossings that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered shut last August. An additional 35,000 shoppers did the same on July 10.

“They used to come here to sell. Now they come to buy,” said Colombian shopkeeper Viviana Lozano, who had to hire 10 friends to cope with the crush of customers. She needed a money-counting machine to process their giant wads of Venezuelan bolivars, whose largest-denomination bank note, a 100-bolivar bill, is worth only 10 U.S. cents.

“It was too crazy,” Lozano said.

Some Venezuelans traveled hundreds of miles through the night on long-distance buses to make the crossing during the weekend openings. They hugged Colombian border guards and went racing for the supermarkets. Stuffing suitcases and duffel bags with as many items as they could fit and their bolivars could buy, they went home with sacks of rice, sugar, corn meal and milk powder, like sailors preparing for a long voyage at sea.

It was a short reprieve. In recent days, border traffic has been much more limited. Colombian authorities — worried the growing crowds could spiral out of control — say they want to end the ad hoc crossings and reopen the border on a long-term basis.

Both governments say they are in negotiations to do so, although Maduro administration officials have bristled at the Colombians’ depiction of Cucuta as a “humanitarian corridor.” They insist the claims of spreading hunger are part of a smear campaign by Venezuela’s opposition.

But on Cucuta’s border bridges in recent days, where a smaller but steady trickle of people are allowed to pass, stories of hardship and indignity appeared to be the only thing in abundance. Venezuelans with doctors’ notes, kids enrolled in Colombian schools and Venezuelans with dual nationality were among the lucky ones still allowed to cross.

Venezuela residents cross the border bridge to return home from Colombia. When authorities opened the crossing during two weekends earlier this month, more than 150,000 people streamed across to buy goods that are scarce in Venezuela.​

The Venezuelan economy is projected to shrink 10 percent this year, according to a recent International Monetary Fund report, and consumer prices are on pace for a 700 percent increase.

“Over there, you wait in line all day for a kilo of rice, and sometimes it runs out before your turn comes, so it’s all for nothing,” said Carlos Ortega, 68, a retired geology professor trudging home after a doctor’s appointment in Colombia. His Venezuelan pension was good for only a few pounds of Colombian beans, sugar and flour.

“This government has looted our country,” he said, glaring at the Venezuelan border guards. “And they’re still doing it.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...c67c5a-4d1c-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html

 

[Rod1]

They should just come to america! Liberals will welcome them with free housing, free food, free phones, employment! Diversity is our strength!! Enrich us culturally!


Na but for everybodys sake i hope they dont come here and can get their own shit together.

You had to kick a man when its down right?

Seriously, people like you really make me irk.

 

[Thought Criminal]

What's Venezuela's media like? Is it like Russia where over 90% of all media is controlled or intimidated into towing the party line? Or is it more varied than that?

You had to kick a man when its down right?

Seriously, people like you really make me irk.

So im supposed to feel bad and coddle everyone in the world who has problems right? That's the liberal way? Listen, I got my own problems, and have family members suffering just as much as these people, if not more. Its a tough world, and I don't have time to coddle everyone like you. I look out for my own country first.

Man up, dude. Plain and simple, these people need to get their shit together. They don't care about me or you, believe that.

 

[Rod1]

So im supposed to feel bad and coddle everyone in the world who has problems right? That's the liberal way? Listen, I got my own problems, and have family members suffering just as much as these people, if not more. Its a tough world, and I don't have time to coddle everyone like you. I look out for my own country first.

Man up, dude. Plain and simple, these people need to get their shit together. They don't care about me or you, believe that.

So you come into a thread of how fucked Venezuela is, you blast liberals and then start complaining about Venezuelan "enrichment" and immigration when there was talk of none.

Basically create an issue out of nowhere while profiting politically from the suffering of people.

And when it comes to enrichment Venezuelan Americans are doing quite well, so fuck off into another thread.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_Americans#Socioeconomics

 

[Stoic1]

Madura doesn't look to have missed many meals.