Shortage-plagued Venezuela nabs supermarket managers hoarding food

Caracas, VENEZUELA: People queue outside a supermarket in Caracas on February 12, 2016. Venezuelas opposition Friday vowed speeded-up moves to oust President Nicolas Maduro after he defied lawmakers by decreeing a state of economic emergency through the crisis-hit countrys high court. In the next few days we will have to present a concrete proposal for the departure of that national disgrace that is the government, the opposition leader of congress Henry Ramos told a news conference. He criticized a ruling on Thursday by the Supreme Court which approved Maduros request for special powers to tackle a deepening economic crisis -- his latest maneuver in a tense political standoff. AFP PHOTO/Federico Parra

February 16, 2016
CARACAS (AFP) - Managers of a state-run supermarket chain in Venezuela are among 49 people arrested for hoarding and re-selling food at a time of acute shortages, the government said Monday.

The arrests were made in regions of the country where a chain called Bicentenario operates. Its director was arrested last month, also on suspicion of diverting for scalping products that are heavily subsidized.

Venezuela's economy is a mess, with rampant inflation and shortages of goods as basic as toilet paper and soap.

The global drop in oil prices has also hit the country hard, as petroleum accounts for 90 percent of its hard currency revenue.

Interior Minister Gustavo Gonzalez vowed to crack down on corruption in the country's food distribution system.

"The government guarantees food sovereignty," he said.

Some of those who arrests were announced Monday were taken away by police as employees looked on and cheered, according to a video shown by the minister.

Most of the detainees were supermarket managers, he said.