Caracas Chronicles

From hardware stores to shoe shops, the people of Ciudad Bolívar have managed to loot anything lootable. Yesterday I told you about the incident in “El Baratón;” well, today looters went back again to take the meat cutting machines.

I know of two places in the city still selling food: the Diamante and Central Madeirense supermarkets. There, the mile-long lines are heavily guarded by the national guard. In a Chinese-owned store, they decided to sell out everything in stock for Bs.1,000 apiece. Selling your assets at a huge loss is better than being looted by angry armed mobs.

At Makro they did something similar: the manager opened the doors so people wouldn’t force their way in and cause more damage than necessary to get what they wanted.

No one can control this.

Even the national guard stopped trying.

#CiudadBolivar 17D Saquean mientras la FANB los mira esto es increible. pic.twitter.com/hbf5Zze74m

— DSD Ciudad Bolivar (@DSDCbl) December 18, 2016

See that guy with the huge bag at the end of the video? He’s not jobless or anything; he’s a nurse at a private clinic. The guards are advising people to take everything they can because no more food is coming.

This avalanche has already started, and with no economic activity it’s only a matter of time before people truly run out of food. I live in Puerto Ordaz, the closest city from Ciudad Bolívar, and we’re already expecting an influx of hungry Bolivarenses with no money and no job. We don’t even have enough food for us.

On the “bright” side, many Bolivarenses are trapped: Ciudad Bolívar are now fuel shortages as well (because we all live in a sick joke), and the bus terminal is shut down to the curfew, so right now there’s no easy way to get out of Dodge…

For the few who can afford it, that gives them a little time to hoard food.

They are coming.