Venezuela Food Crisis: A Warning to the World - Be Prepared - Emergency Essentials
[caption id="attachment_20992" align="alignright" width="300"]venezuela-empty-shelves-via-abc-news Empty shelves in Venezuela - via ABC News[/caption] Venezuela is on the brink of collapse. With food prices skyrocketing, people are struggling to feed their families. Crime is on the rise. Long lines of people wind endlessly around the supermarket in the hopes of securing just the bare necessities. Oftentimes they go home empty handed. Citizens are now revolting against the leaders that brought them into this mess. This report by the Washington Post shows just how delicate the situation is in Venezuela. Led by President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s socialist-inspired revolution used to provide plenty of government funding to “create a more equal society.” Looking at what’s happening in Venezuela now, that didn’t work so well. For a while, things were fine. People thrived, and much of that success was due to their strong oil economy. During the Chávez era, governments helped subsidize mothers in extreme poverty, helped people finish construction on their houses, and even help youth receive scholarships – all great things. Then the money dried up. [caption id="attachment_20993" align="alignright" width="300"]venezuela-fridge-via-the-washington-post With high prices, food is hard to come by - via Washington Post[/caption] Oil prices tanked, and the government-run supermarkets that provided the basics at subsidized prices are practically empty, and due to 700% inflation, even these subsidized supermarkets are forced to sell their goods at exorbitant prices. Food is scarce, many children don’t have the energy to even attend school. One Venezuelan journalist eats only one meal a day which consists of one egg. With empty supermarkets and no hope on the horizon, things are certainly not what the people of Venezuela had expected from their government. “We’re tired,” said one woman as reported by NBC News, “tired of hunger and humiliation.” Thousands of people from all across the country gathered in Caracas to protests against the worsening economic crisis. A coup was even attempted, but failed. People want change, because with change comes more access to food. PBS reported that Venezuelans are “losing hope that their government-controlled system will supply key items.” The situation in Venezuela is a warning to the United States – and every other developed nation. While the U.S. may not be in the same dire straits as they are, a look back can show just how gradual it was. Venezuela prospered for many years. Then, slowly, things worsened, until the food crisis arrived in full swing, increasing its intensity until food was nowhere to be found. How does one prepare for such a crisis? It can be difficult to predict something like this happening, especially during the good times. But it’s during the good times that we as a people must prepare for the difficult times. Food prices have soared in Venezuela. A dozen eggs now costs $150 on the black market, not much more than the official government pricing. This is where emergency food storage comes into play. No matter what the prices jump to in the future, your food storage maintains its value. In fact, it’s like an investment in that when food prices rise, you’re already prepared so you don’t have to spend $150 on twelve eggs. venezuela-inflation-chart Likewise, only eating a few eggs a day will get old fast. By stocking up with food, you can ensure you have the food you actually want to eat, rather than rely on the supermarket to provide you with the very basics, assuming the shelves haven’t been stripped bare by the time you arrive. Food prices spiking and many different stages of civil unrest can make acquiring food not just difficult, but nearly impossible. Take the time now – before a crisis – to prepare for any emergency scenario. Blog Image
Civil unrestFood crisisVenezuela

11 comments

Donna

Donna

Many churches do help…however The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints sends a representative with the supplies to ensure the supplies get to the people it is meant for.

No middle man and no,war lords getting the supplies and hoarding them

Find a local church, it is world wide

Emergency Essentials

Emergency Essentials

Many Canadians use the address of friends of family that live in the US and coordinate with them for how to get it up. There are also ways to get a US address at border towns to pick up once it arrives. I’m not sure how that all works, but since Lethbridge is fairly close to the border, it might be worth looking into.

chamel Akl

chamel Akl

Hi. Thanks for the information but your calculation is wrong. 1500 bolivars are 1.5 USD at the black market in Venezuela. Im a Venezuelan citizen.

The rest of the info is correct.

All the best and keep selling great products.

Carol Davis

Carol Davis

The problem we will have, and do have, is the lawlessness fostered by the gibmedat large portion of our population. There is way more needed than food storage-basics like skills and ability to use them.

Ed

Ed

NO problem, as Hillary will delete all food price lists if elected.

Gregory Faith

Gregory Faith

The example given by Emergency Essentials to always be prepared for any crisis that may arise is so important to the average person here inside the United States. We, those who are prepared are not crack pots or wack jobs. We are realists who see this type of financial crisis coming to the United States in our future. Take the American Boy Scouts Motto to heart. “Always be prepareed”.

Susan Craig

Susan Craig

Don’t forget other needed items such as: toilet paper, laundry and cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Last but not least, PET FOOD! I have done this for my pets.

Janeen Vick

Janeen Vick

Can we help them? Is there a church we can send items to that could distribute evenly? This is an outrage for anyone in this world to go hungry!

Virus1977

Virus1977

I live in Venezuela i think our government and some people of world elite is testing us to stablish this model in all the world in near future.

carol jorquera

carol jorquera

If I could order my stuff from you and have it sent to Canada I would buy a lot more than I do now. It’s sad that everything is in such turmoil. We used to have a cannery in Lethbridge Alta but the gov’t wanted to regulate it so it was closed. maybe I could get a post office box in the us and have it shipped there but there’s no guarantee that I could get it across the Border. Got any ideas.

Bobby Jameson

Bobby Jameson

Thank you very much for this true life example of how quickly and terrible conditions and situations can change. You are right. When the need arises, the time to prepare has passed.

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