Food Markets in Caracas Empty Out as Inflation Hits the Poorest
- ‘We are creating a breeding ground for chronic diseases’
- Fuel shortages are snarling every aspect of food supply chains
In a country suffering what’s considered the Western Hemisphere’s worst humanitarian crisis, Venezuela’s pain is hitting a new order of magnitude as the food markets of Caracas turn into ghost towns.
At Guaicaipuro, near downtown, the long hallways of stalls seem to stretch endlessly with hardly a shopper in sight. At Quinta Crespo, food sellers are desperate to attract attention, screaming over each other every time someone walks by. At San Martin market, on the city’s west side, some stalls are shuttered, while some have so little food, they might as well have also closed. Others have decent supplies, but high price tags mean would-be customers mostly just walk away. Business is so scant some hawkers can’t even be bothered -- they just sit at their posts, playing on their phones, with no expectations for the day.