Venezuela begins occupation of private supermarket chain

[brooklynite]

Source: AP

National guardsmen and state price adjusters fanned out across Venezuela Wednesday to impose a military-style occupation with an unusual goal: Making sure shoppers can buy enough sugar.

The South American country's socialist administration temporarily took over the Dia a Dia supermarket chain as part of a crackdown on the private businesses it blames for worsening shortages and long lines. Embattled President Nicolas Maduro says right-wing owners are purposely making shopping a nightmare by hoarding goods and removing checkout stations. He has promised to jail any business owner found to be fomenting economic chaos.

Two executives of Venezuela's largest drugstore chain, Farmatodo, were detained over the weekend as part of an investigation by price-control authorities.

On Monday night, Congress President Diosdado Cabello said officials had arrested Dia a Dia's owner and taken over its 35 stores "for the protection of Venezuelans." By Tuesday morning, armed soldiers were overseeing lines for bags of sugar at a Dia a Dia location near the presidential palace.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-begins-occupation-private-supermarket-chain-175808230.html

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Decisive action to solve the country's food problem.....until the shelves are emptied. What are the odds they'll be re-stocked?

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. So, under this scenario, any business owner is potentially an enemy of the State?

[msanthrope]

2. This should go well. nt

[seveneyes]

3. taken over its 35 stores "for the protection of Venezuelans."

How sweet it is to be god of your country.

[ColesCountyDem]

4. What could possibly go wrong?

[Yo_Mama]

5. Greasing the downward spiral staircase, certainly.

What's said is all the citizens just trying to survive, but I've got to admit that these people look like the Keystone Cops of Socialism.

[NaturalHigh]

6. Is Maduro going to lay hands on the empty shelves...

and make them magically grow commodities? Who will he blame when his latest brain fart is exposed for its stupidity?