Economic War! Reports from the front

Yesterday (September 21) was an active day on several fronts of the economic war the Venezuelan government is fighting against the “fascist right.” 

During the morning, PSUV National Assembly deputy José Ávila declared in an interview at Venezolana de Televisión that defeating the right, and the “economic war it has planted in the country,” should be an objective assumed by all Venezuelans. He also said that “this is a war that has several actors: political, and media promoters. We are fighting an adversary that is a political mercenary.” 

Later during the day the Agencia Venezolana de Noticias informed that Sundecop (the government’s price controls agency) had seized more than 30,000 toilet paper rolls and hundreds of kilograms of sugar and corn flour from retail markets in Quinta Crespo, and from wholesale suppliers in Coche and Guacaipuro, Caracas. 

According to AVN: “Public attorneys of the State organism [Sundecop], led by the superintendent Karlin Granadillo, and authorities of the Ministry of Commerce, visited stores in the area as parts of the plans put into action by the Executive to fight the economic war promoted by sectors of the right with the objective of destabilizing the government.” 

The Vice-minister for Commerce, Carlos Herrera, also present during the raids, declared that hoarding was typified by the law as a “serious crime”. However, no arrests for hoarding were reported by AVN. 

Vice-president Jorge Arreaza also declared yesterday that “the national government will apply the full weight of the law on those that attempt to interrupt or affect in any way the production, distribution, and commercialization of food products in the country.” Minister for Alimentation, 

Féliz Osorio, said that “the right” is activating an “economic coup with the objective of affecting the stability of the country. (…) The instructions of President Nicolas Maduro are to advance in the realization of the legacy of my comandante Hugo Chávez, so that the people never again become a victim of the economic attacks from the right, which are always focused on the alimentary issue.”