Pharmacies in Venezuela Are Accused of ‘Sabotage’

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

CARACAS, Venezuela — The authorities detained several executives of the country’s top pharmacy chain over the weekend amid accusations that retailers were seeking to maintain long lines outside stores as part of what President Nicolás Maduro called a “guerrilla tactic” to sow discontent in the economically beleaguered nation.

“I’ve got some conspirators, owners of a chain of stores, jailed by the Sebin,” Mr. Maduro said Sunday in a television appearance, referring to the country’s intelligence police. “I have asked the national prosecutor’s office to speed up the charges so that they are well jailed for sabotaging the Venezuelan people with their chain of stores.”

He did not identify the company, but he appeared to be referring to the Farmatodo drugstore chain.

...snip...

Mr. Maduro says scheming capitalists are waging an economic campaign against his socialist-inspired government, but many economists blame his policies, including rigid controls over prices and access to hard currency needed for imports.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/world/americas/pharmacies-in-venezuela-are-accused-of-sabotage.html

[hack89]

1. I anticipate a left wing coup in VZ any time now.

can't imagine the hardline Chavistas standing by and watching Maduro wreck the revolution.

[FrodosPet]

2. But he was hand picked by the most brilliant and most caring man in history

Any problems in Venezuela are the fault of CIA conspiracy, not of Mr. Maduro. Because Chile 1973.

[Bacchus4.0]

3. the chavistas have done much. Ven is now an economic and social disaster while it wasn't before n/t

[snooper2]

4. Good, now he can put some cronies that no nothing of the business in charge and all will be

WONDERFUL!

[Yo_Mama]

16. They may be seizing what goods there are to distribute to those-who-must-be-satisified.

I don't know if anyone in this thread has been following the plight of the Greek people, who also have shortages of medicine and medical care. Terrible situation.

What's devastating is that Venezuela did this to ITSELF.

[First Speaker]

5. Hmmm...The Pharmacist's Plot?...a bit reminiscent of Stalin's "Doctor's Plot"...

...which, fortunately, his death nipped in the bud...

[Bacchus4.0]

6. check out this video of Venezuelans shopping when there is word that chicken and flour are available

[brooklynite]

10. Should've added some CHARIOTS OF FIRE music...

[Yo_Mama]

15. Good Lord. Funniest thing are the dogs.

I think they deserve a shoutout. First you see one running against the crowd, thinking that the people must be running away from something. Then another one shows up and they have a consultation about the supposed threat. Good citizens, those are.

No country can go on for very long like this in the west. Shopping can't be a SPORT where the fastest get there first and get the food. It's entirely too Darwinian.

[Dreamer Tatum]

7. Doesn't want anyone competing against his discontent, I guess. Meanwhile the Chavistas

are still absent.

[Zorro]

8. Just be patient

Flubberlips will arrive and lecture us ignorant peons that it's all a nefarious CIA plot to undermine the Bolivarian revolution.

[Dr. Strange]

9. Biden!!!!!!!!!!!

[tammywammy]

23. Hahahahahahaha

[Archae]

11. "The Jews...I mean, the Pharmacists are to blame for everything."

(Paraphrasing Joseph Goebbels)

[Marksman_91]

12. What's funny is that long queues are foming outside of state-controlled shops as well

The Nincompoop is getting desperate and trying everything he can to pin the blame on the private sector for his administration's poor handling of the economy. My question is, if they finally take over virtually ALL industries in the country (and at this point they control most of it), who will they blame once the same problems keep coming up?

[christx30]

13. Time for people that own these pharmacies to close down,

get as much of their stuff out of the country as they can. Last one out, turn off the lights.
Let Ven's cronies try to get inventory into the country and run the place. It's not worth the hassle and the threat of arrest and trial on trumped up charges.

[FLPanhandle]

18. The government will be taking them over before long.

They just took over a Supermarket chain they said was purposely causing long lines.

No mention of the fact that the state owned stores have long lines too.

[christx30]

19. Because ownership makes a huge difference

to customers, if you can't get the product on the shelf. <rolls eyes at Mudaro>

[Nye Bevan]

14. So, is it only pharmacies that have long lines in Venezuela? (nt)

[FLPanhandle]

17. It's either blame everyone else, or Maduro has to take responsibility for his own failures.

I guess it's obvious what path he is choosing.

I swear a Magic 8 ball could run that country better.

[christx30]

20. So these people have been arrested

for conspiracy for not having enough registers open? If I understand it right, the pharmacy is trying to make people mad at Maduro by not having enough staff on hand. Like when Walmart only has 3 registers open. So suddenly a staffing issue at a store is a criminal matter.
I'm not going to say he's insane... but, yeah.

[brooklynite]

21. Just to be clear, you're a CIA plant, right?

[christx30]

22. Don't blow my cover.

It took nearly 10 years and over 2,000 posts to establish it.