Liquor Rep Arrested after Revealing Why Venezuela Is Out of Booze

[brooklynite]

Pan Am Post:

Without knowing the crimes alleged against him, the general director of the Venezuelan Federation of Liquor Producers (Fevelif) was arrested on Friday, July 24. According to local media, Fray Roa could appear in court on Monday, July 27.

While there remains no stated justification for the arrest, Venezuelans haven’t failed to notice that it occurred right after Roa shared revelations with journalist Gabriela Frías on her television program Global Portfolio, broadcast on CNN en Español.

The industry representative complained about the lack of raw materials for the production of beer and malt in the country. Moreover, the businessman took the opportunity to announce a “zero-hour” (planned strike) to protest the critical situation Venezuelan liquor producers are facing.

Roa reported that the perilously low stocks of beer would only last until the first week of August, and explained that this is largely due to the non-payment of US$2.7 billion that the regime owes the brewing industry.

[msongs]

1. less drunks, less crime, more peace. venezuela should be celebratingl nt

[NobodyHere]

2. I guess that's one way to enact prohibition

[DetlefK]

3. He ruined the state-propaganda that saboteurs are orchestrating the shortages.

His crime was to reveal that Venezuela is actually running out of products and materials.

[whatthehey]

4. Venezuela is running out of a lot of things

My own employer is one of more than several which have stopped producing product for Venezuela. When they cavalierly cancel orders at the last moment, even rejecting shipments at the dock, because they have insufficient funds to pay (the government controls what cash can leave the country even though the government is not the customer), then there is little alternative. Anybody still shipping into that country runs the strong risk of being an unwilling charitable donor or worse having to pay for return shipment and disposal of their own cancelled orders. The irony is that if they ASKED for donations, they'd probably, certainly from my company, get more product than they do now still pretending to be a functioning economy. Beer companies? Not sure if they do much humanitarian supply, but maybe worth a shot there too.