Hunting for food across Caracas (Hunger Games)

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/131012/hunting-for-food-across-caracas

Osma lives in low-income Las Adjuntas sector, (southeast Caracas), but he had to leave his house early in the morning to look for the precious corn flour across the city, in the Catia sector (northwest Caracas). He knew he would not find anything in the first supermarket he visited: there was no line outside. Then, he stood in line outside two different grocery stores for a total three hours to buy two packages in each store. When he got back home, it was 2 p.m. already; too late to go to work at his workshop.

Lines to buy basic staples are business as usual in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital city. Many people look for the line outside supermarkets and ask the last person in line what basic product is available for sale. "Corn oil (in small bottles), margarine, and corn flour," replies Eladia Serrano, a retired woman with plenty of time to spare waiting in line.

Across the city, in state-run supermarket Bicentenario in Terrazas del Ávila (east Caracas), Marco Pereira indulged in the "luxury" of buying four packages of corn flour without having to stand in such a long line. "It is just because it is Monday and early in the morning; but on pay days, you can spend three hours here." Of course, he complains about restrictions: "If I am paying, why can't I buy 12 packages, as I used to do?"

Even though there was corn flour available in that supermarket, other scarce "treasuries" in Caracas, such as powdered milk, sugar, toilet paper, and kitchen paper rolls were not available.