Venezuela doesn't have enough bread, so the government is arresting bakers


Venezuela's economy is in a bad way, suffering from runaway inflation thanks to its government's currency manipulation as well as widespread shortages of food and other basic goods exacerbated by government corruption. Among the dwindling commodities is bread, and the Venezuelan government has responded by arresting bakers it says are waging an "economic war" on their own country.
As the Miami Herald reports, the socialist regime has arrested at least four people and seized control of two bakeries. The bakers' crime? A statement from the government said they were "selling underweight bread and were using price-regulated flour to illegally make specialty items, like sweet rolls and croissants."
The policy response to the bread shortage is a ban on making anything other than French bread and white loaves using government-imported flour. (Venezuela's military controls its food supply and the country is heavily dependent on imports.) Some 90 percent of bread products are also subject to price controls.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Venezuela's government intends to continue surprise raids on bakeries to catch bakers it alleges are hoarding flour instead of making bread — even as lines of would-be customers snake out the bakery doors. "The bakeries are showing the authorities that they have no bread inventory," said Juan Crespo, president of Venezuela's Industrial Flour Union. "The government has to see the reality."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections
-
News organizations reject Pentagon restrictions
Speed Read The proposed policy is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest move to limit press access at the Pentagon
-
Trump declares end to Gaza war, ‘dawn’ of new Mideast
Speed Read Hamas freed the final 20 living Israeli hostages and Israel released thousands of Palestinian detainees
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents