Shortages in Venezuela
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Shortages in Venezuela of food staples and basic necessities occurred throughout Venezuela's history.[6] Scarcity became more widespread following the enactment of price controls and other policies under the government of Hugo Chávez[7][8] and exacerbated by the policy of withholding United States dollars from importers under the government of Nicolás Maduro.[9] The severity of the shortages led to the largest refugee crisis ever recorded in the Americas.[10]
This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: date says 2010-2019, which was almost 5 years ago. Is it still ongoing? The lead needs to make it clear the timeline of this event in the first paragraph. (November 2023) |
Part of the Crisis in Venezuela | |
Date | 2008[1] – 2019[2][3] |
---|---|
Location | Venezuela |
Cause | Government policies, low oil prices and corruption[4][5][3] |
Outcome |
|
The Maduro administration denied the extent of the crisis;[11] and refused to accept humanitarian aid from Amnesty International, the United Nations, and other groups while conditions worsened.[12][13] The United Nations and the Organization of American States stated that the shortages resulted in unnecessary deaths in Venezuela and urged the government to accept humanitarian aid.[14] Though The New York Times asserts that the Maduro administration and its economic irresponsibility directly caused a lack of food,[15] Maduro stated that the country had adequate access to food.[16]
During the shortages, milk, meat, coffee, rice, oil, precooked flour, butter, toilet paper, personal hygiene products and medicines were scarce.[7][17][18] By January 2017, the shortage of medicines reached 85%, according to the Pharmaceutical Federation of Venezuela (Federación Farmacéutica de Venezuela).[19] Hours-long lines were common, and those who waited did always receive service.[clarification needed] Some Venezuelans resorted to eating wild fruit and garbage.[20][21][22][23]
On 9 February 2018, a group of United Nations Special Procedures and the Special Rapporteurs on food, health, adequate housing and extreme poverty issued a joint statement on Venezuela, declaring that much of its population was starving and going without in a situation that they do not believe will end.[24] A year later in 2019, the Maduro administration relaxed the nation's strict currency exchange regulations and shortages subsided in Venezuela while the economy became unofficially dollarized.[3][25]