Article – Venezuelans Ransack Stores as Hunger Grips the Nation

CUMANÁ, Venezuela — With delivery trucks under constant attack, the nation’s food is now transported under armed guard. Soldiers stand watch over bakeries. The police fire rubber bullets at desperate mobs storming grocery stores, pharmacies and butcher shops. A 4-year-old girl was shot to death as street gangs fought over food.

Venezuela is convulsing from hunger.

Hundreds of people here in the city of Cumaná, home to one of the region’s independence heroes, marched on a supermarket in recent days, screaming for food. They forced open a large metal gate and poured inside. They snatched water, flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, potatoes, anything they could find, leaving behind only broken freezers and overturned shelves.

And they showed that even in a country with the largest oil reserves in the world, it is possible for people to riot because there is not enough food.

In the last two weeks alone, more than 50 food riots, protests and mass looting have erupted around the country. Scores of businesses have been stripped bare or destroyed. At least five people have been killed.

This is precisely the Venezuela its leaders vowed to prevent.

Yay, socialism. I think you’d have to wait a long time to see such a level of dystopia hit this country. And while I don’t think it will ever be like that, on a national level, here in the US, it is still a fascinating example of what happens when food becomes scarce. That ‘thin venwer of civilization’ that we always hear about gets scratched away and the next thing you know there’s an angry mob prying the bars off the window to your house.

So many tangents to go off of in that story…personal security, hard currency, foraging skills, food storage, armed revolution, etc, etc. Make no doubt about it, folks that don’t care who gets voted into office will suddenly care about politics when their kitchen cabinets are bare. I haven’t found much in the way of news about it, but I’d imagine the rural dwellers in Venezuela are probably faring a little better than their city brethren.

There’s a lot to take away from the article. And the related articles about the crumbling medical infrastructure are illuminating as well. And while I don’t foresee it happening on a national scale here, I can see it happening on a local scale to various degrees as things like weather and natural disasters come and go.

Go read. Then go sit in your pantry an imagine what it would be like.

It’s only a matter of time before the government collapses or is forced out by a crowd with pitchforks and torches. What comes in after that will be anybody’s guess.

10 thoughts on “Article – Venezuelans Ransack Stores as Hunger Grips the Nation

  1. You’re right, lots of tangents to go off on with this one and glad I can follow this story from afar. It has sounded like their economy is based on oil and mangoes- only one of which you can eat, and that doesn’t make for a very good diet. It’s almost like having a national grain reserve would make strategic sense, right? Oops, I guess we ditched that plan over the past 20 years here in the U.S.

  2. If my memory serves me correctly. US and Canada Oil companies developed oil in their country, then they threw us to the curb, then they took those reserves and distributed to the citizens for free which Chavez was elected and hated the US. I don’t feel sorry for their socialism actions. Similar to Greece actions, just saying.

  3. Have food, water, and provisions for at least a couple weeks for yourself and your family. Have the means to defend it. If possible, have like minded neighbors who can help.

    • Need a heck of lot more than a couple weeks’ worth. I think we have about 6-8 months of food, but not near that much water. Really need a generator to run the well pump, just in case.

  4. I would like know what the (FEEL THE BURN) Sanders people have to say about their Utopia going up in flames. Lib. Media, Pres. O. the Clintons, any collage teacher or student, are they just hoping no one takes notice? WTF DOES NO ONE LEARN FROM HISTORY? CALIFORNA,NEW YORK, and the rest of the Socialism states are head for the same outcome.

  5. Another thing to take from this is that this collapse has been in the works for a couple of years now, each month getting worse and worse. Most preppers are only prepared for short term events, not the long haul that may last a couple or several years. It’s interesting to see how it’s crumbling through the reports getting out.

    • Yes, and in this case and others lack of food access is a tipping point where people start to revolt from business as usual.

  6. I wish there was more coverage to see how human kind reacts to such misguided belief in a socialist system that only really benefits the powerful in the government. This will be better then the Walking Dead. You hear me AMC? Can you say HIT SERIES!

  7. And remember that the oldest Chavez daughter is one of the richest women in the world now…
    Gee, how come that always seems to work that way in socialist hellholes? Chelsea Clinton being an up-and-comer in this country.

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