By Christopher Woody From Business Insider

 

Despite breathless coverage of Venezuela’s vanishing supply of condoms, toilet paper, and beer, perhaps the country’s most debilitating shortage has been that of food, which appears to be a motivating factor for growing antigovernment sentiment.

“I want the recall because I don’t have food,” one woman told the Venezuelan commentary site Contrapunto, referring to a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro that has so far reportedly drawn more than a million signatures in support.

“We want out of this agony — there is too much need in the streets,” another woman told Contrapunto. “We have much pressure because there is no food and every day we have to ask ourselves what we are going to eat.”

Government supporters have long pointed proudly to the improvement in eating under socialist leader Hugo Chavez, who used oil income to subsidize food for the poor during his 14 years in office (1999 to 2013) and won UN plaudits for it.

But Reuters notes that Maduro, Chavez’s successor, has faced a collapse in the price of oil, which provides almost all of Venezuela’s foreign income. He has also blamed an opposition-led “economic war,” which critics deride as an excuse.

Living in a severe recession and a dysfunctional state-run economy, poorer families say they sometimes skip meals and rely more on starch foods, Reuters reports.

“We are eating worse than before,” Liliana Tovar, a Caracas resident, told Reuters in late April. “If we eat breakfast, we don’t eat lunch, if we eat lunch, we don’t eat dinner, and if we eat dinner, we don’t eat breakfast.”

At times, high demand and limited supplies have left Venezuela’s shelves heavily stocked with items no one buys, like soft drinks, while high-demand items like milk are nowhere to be found.

According to a recent study, 87% of Venezuelans say their income is now insufficient to purchase their food needs. Shoppers routinely spend hours in lines to buy staples such as corn flour and laundry soap, turning lines into sites of shoving matches and now more frequent attempts to plunder shops.

That study of nearly 1,500 families also found a rising percentages of carbohydrates in diets, and it said 12% of those interviewed did not eat three meals a day.

To try to shore up wages, Maduro on Sunday announced a 30% minimum-wage increase, which comes after a 25% hike on March 1 and is the 33rd wage boost since 1999. Beginning this month, workers and pensioners will earn 15,051 bolivars a month — only about $13, based on the black-market conversion rate, according to El País.

That amount may become even more paltry. Venezuela’s inflation rate in 2015 was 180.9%, according to the central bank, and the International Monetary Fund expects inflation in the country to reach 720% this year.

A minimum wage is now only about 20% of the cost of feeding a family of five, according to a monitoring group cited by Reuters. Lines snake around state-run supermarkets, where regulations keep prices low, from before dawn.

“You have to get into these never ending lines — all day, five in the morning until three in the afternoon — to see if you get a couple of little bags of flour or some butter,” said taxi driver Jhonny Mendez, 58.

“It makes a person want to cry.”

The opposition in Venezuela’s national assembly last week ordered the firing of the country’s food minister because of the country’s worsening food situation, though the Maduro government may ignore or circumvent the order.

IMAGES:

venezuela REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsAn opposition supporter with a giant 100-bolivar note with the word “Hungry” written on it seen at a gathering to protest against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro along with economic insecurity, and shortages, in Caracas on August 8.

Soaring prices and rampant shortages of most goods have left many Venezuelans struggling to put regular food on their tables and maintain a balanced diet. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins People walking past shelves filled with mostly the same product at a state-run supermarket in Caracas on January 9, 2015.

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins A woman walking past empty refrigerator shelves at a Makro supermarket in Caracas, on August 4. The word on the shelf is “Cheeses.”

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins People lined up to buy staple items outside the state-run Bicentenario supermarket in Caracas on August 4.

Reuters recently documented the in-home food stocks of residents in Petare, a poor barrio east of Caracas where once stalwart government support has weakened over the past few years:
“We eat today, but we do not know what we will eat tomorrow,” Francisca Landaeta said. “We are bad — I never thought it would come to this.”
“We eat today, but we do not know what we will eat tomorrow,” Francisca Landaeta said. “We are bad — I never thought it would come to this.”
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Landaeta, right, posing for a picture next to her relatives, from left, Luisa Gomez, Gabriel Castillo, Kerlin Garrido, and Antony Arias, at their home in Caracas, on April 14.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Francisca Landaeta and her family is pictured at their home on April 21. “We have about 15 days eating bread with cheese or arepa with cheese,” Lender Perez said. “We are eating worse than before, because we can’t find food and those we can find we can’t afford.”
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Perez, his wife, Isamar Ramirez, and their children Lismar, left, and Lucia, posing for a picture at their home in Caracas on April 14. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Lender Perez and his family is pictured at their home on April 15.
“I have to leave the house at 5 a.m., facing the risk of being killed, to stand in line all day and only buy two or three products,” Jhonny Mendez said.  REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Mendez, second left, next to his relatives, from left, Yoelver Barreto, Yorver Barreto, Leida Bolivar, and Yoalvier Barreto, at their home in Caracas on April 14.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Jhonny Mendez and his family is pictured at their home on April 15.
“I’m eating less and also I’m eating excess things that should not be eaten” Antonia Torres said.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Torres at her home in Caracas on April 22. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsAll the food available in the house of Antonia Torres and her family is pictured at their home on April

“I breakfast on either an arepa or a tamale, to eat, at least two times a day” Mirella Rivero said.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Rivero and her son Jose Rivero at their home in Caracas on April 15.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Mirella Rivero and her family is pictured at their home on April 15.
“With the money we used to spend on breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we can now buy only breakfast — and not a very good one,” Alida Gonzalez said.
“With the money we used to spend on breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we can now buy only breakfast — and not a very good one,” Alida Gonzalez said.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Gonzalez, second right, next to her relatives, from left, Manuel Garcia, Jesus Garcia, Maira Hernandez, and Nixon Urbano, at their home in Caracas on April 15.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Alida Gonzalez and her family is pictured at their home on April 15.
“Now eating is a luxury, before we could earn some money and buy clothes or something, now everything goes on food,” Yaneidy Guzman said.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Guzman next to her daughters, Esneidy Ramirez, right, Steffany Perez, front left, and Fabiana Perez, front right, at their home in Caracas on April 22.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the foods available in the house of Yaneidy Guzman and her family is pictured at their home on April 22.
“We’re a big family, and it’s constantly getting harder for us to eat,” Ricardo Mendez said.

Mendez, second left, next to his relatives, from left, Raymari Guerra, Natalia Guerra, Ricardo Mendez, Dayana Mendez, Antonela Mendez, Yolimar Vetancourt, and Liz Torres, at their home on April 23.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Ricardo Mendez and his family is pictured at their home on April 23.
“We are eating in a bad way,” Duglas Sanchez said. “We can not eat a balanced way. If we had lunch, not dinner, and if we had dinner, not breakfast.”
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Sanchez at his home in Caracas on April 23.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Duglas Sanchez and his family is pictured at their home on April 23.

“We are eating less because you can’t find the foods, and when they appear, the queues are hellish and we can’t buy them,” Victoria Mata said. “Now we do not eat three meals. We are eating two meals a day, if we have them.” REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Mata, second right, next to her relatives, from left, Naibeth Pereira, Sebastian, Delis Pereira, Denis Pereira, and Wenderly, front, at their home in Caracas on April 21.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Victoria Mata and her family is pictured at their home on April 21.
“Before we were able to buy food for 15 days, now only we can cover our food needs for the day,” Romulo Bonalde said.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Bonalde, right, and his wife, Maria de Bonalde, at their home in Caracas on April 23.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Romulo Bonalde and his family is pictured at their home on April 23.
Yunni Perez, right, next to her relatives, from left, Carlos Acosta, Adrian Gonzalez, Luis Oliveros, Luis Oliveros, and Hector Acosta at their home in Caracas on April 22.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Yunni Perez and her family is pictured at their home on April 22.
“We are eating less, because we have been limiting ourselves,” Antonio Marquez said. “We used to keep the refrigerator full, but now is no longer so.”

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Marquez and his wife, Maria de Marquez, at their home in Caracas on April 23.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Antonio Marquez and his family is pictured at their home on April 23.
Mario Bedoya and his wife, Carmen Bedoya, at their home in Caracas on April 21.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

All the food available in the house of Mario Bedoya and his wife, Carmen Bedoya, is pictured at their home on April 21.
“We are eating badly,” Rosa Elaisa Landaez said. “For example, if we have corn flour, we eat arepas all day. If you have the money, you can’t find the foods, and if you find you them, you do not have enough money.”
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Rosa Elaisa Landaez, back, next to her relatives, from left, Albert Perez, Abel Perez, and Yeiderlin Gomez, at their home in Caracas on April 23.
REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsAll the food available in the house of Rosa Elaisa Landaez and her family is pictured at their home on April 23.

For more on this story go to: http://www.businessinsider.com/venezuela-economic-food-crisis-meals-2016-4