'Socialist experiment' Venezuela in ruins as soldiers delete videos of 12-hour food queues
Joe Barnes
VENEZUELANS face 12-hour queues for food as the Latin American nation’s economic and political crisis has lead to a severe shortage of essential resources.
A BBC journalist, who attempted to film the crisis, was stopped and forced by soldiers to delete footage of a protest outside a supermarket as desperate Venezuelans waited for food.
Baying crowds shouted “We want to buy stuff!” as they grouped outside the store in the country’s capital, Caracas.
BBC journalist Vladimir Hernandez reports that many people approached him to say they had queued for 12 hours without being able to buy what they wanted.
In the short clip, the crew are warned by a demonstrator that they have been spotted by members of the Venezuelan army.
They are soon surrounded by soldiers as the crowd screams: “Let them film!”
Soldiers can then be heard saying: “Delete that video right now in front of me,” as the journalists are moved away from the demonstrations.
During his report on BBC Newsnight, the journalist said: “Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro faces an economic crisis unlike any Venezuela has seen before.
“The socialist experiment his predecessor Hugo Chavez began 17 years ago is failing, triggering massive food shortages and inflation.
“Maduro inherited Chavez’s socialist experiment but not the high oil prices that financed his public spending.
“There’s some food on sale but most people can’t afford to buy it. Venezuela has the highest inflation in the world and it’s hitting the poor the hardest.
“The government has made some staples like flour and rice available at pre-inflation prices but there is not enough to go round.”
President Nicolas Maduro took over three years ago after long-serving leader Hugo Chavez died.his popularity has plunged as many Venezuelans blamed their hunger on his economic mismanagement.
His popularity has plunged as many Venezuelans blamed their hunger on his economic mismanagement.
However, the government blames it on an economic war being waged by speculators and foreign powers seeking a regime change in the country.
President Maduro’s official term ends in 2019, but a petition movement is pushing for a referendum to remove him from power early.
Jamaica is set to enter into an agreement with the Latin American country to provide food and medicine in exchange for paying off oil debts.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/695662/venezuela-food-queues-soldier-delete-video