President Nicolas Maduro, who called for an emptying of shelves when he seized control of a slew of appliance retailers last week, urged calm Monday as Venezuelans massed outside stores nationwide for a fourth straight day. ...
Tension has hung over much of Venezuela since Maduro last week took control of several electronics retailers he accuses of hiking prices to sow discontent and destabilize his rule. This week the government is expanding its crackdown to businesses selling clothes, shoes and automobiles, all of which have seen prices shoot up in tandem with a sharp drop in Venezuela's bolivar currency on the illegal black market.
Of course people are "massed outside stores" forced to sell products at artificially low prices. With this policy, once those shelves are empty, they won't be refilled. Crazy Maduro may think he can force merchants to sell at a loss yet make a profit on volume, but Adam Smith says otherwise.
The funny thing (in a dark comedy sort of way, of course) is that Chavez and his loyal parrot Maduro like to say America is conspiring against them.
I know. Who would have thought this guy wasn't some sort of policy genius?
No worries, Maduro has Hugo's six, it is clear.
If we really hated Venezuela, no CIA plot could inflict more damage on Venezuela than keeping these Bolivarian clowns in power.
