Venezuela: Observe a frustrating day of shopping in Caracas, from the BBC

Shopping in Caracas is now a full-day's job
(Image credit: BBC/YouTube)

Scarcity of basic goods is a real and serious problem in Venezuela. The Associated Press, for example, has an article on Tuesday about how a lack of parts and medical supplies has led doctors to routinely perform radical mastectomies and other outdated treatments. But there's a fine line between tragedy and farce, and BBC Mundo's Daniel Pardo takes a lighter-hearted look at Venezuela's shortages by walking us through a day of shopping for essential foodstuffs in Caracas, the capital. It might make you feel bad for Venezuelans, but it should also make you feel better about waiting behind the person with a full cart in the express land of your local supermarket. —Peter Weber

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.