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A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 10 July 2019

Amid fuel shortage, Venezuelan farmers worry about crops

By LUZ DARY DEPABLOS eaten up profits and made
SCOTT SMITH it impossible for farmers
Associated Press to feed themselves — let
LA GRITA, Venezuela (AP) alone supply a country
— Growing potatoes and where hunger and hyper-
carrots high in the wind- inflation run rampant. Ac-
swept mountains of west- cording to survey results
ern Venezuela had always published by three of the
proven a challenge for Luis country’s most prominent
Villamizar. universities, six in 10 Ven-
But as oil production in the ezuelans said they lost
South American country weight, an average of 24
has collapsed under years pounds (11 kilograms), be-
of mismanagement and tween 2017 and 2018. Last
U.S. sanctions, many in year, inflation topped 1 mil-
the industry are confront- lion percent.
ing another hardship: Fuel “We’re quite worried that
shortages. in three or four months the
“Nobody’s going to eat production will collapse by
this. It’s a loss for sure,” said more than half,” Maldona-
Villamizar, 53, as he dug up do said.
potatoes darkened with Ricardo Hausmann, a Har-
spots from a damaging in- vard University economist
festation. “Who’s going to and former Venezuelan
buy these? This won’t do.” In this June 19, 2019 photo, residents of a remote community catch a ride on the bed of a truck planning minister who is
He’s not alone. Across Ven- near La Grita, Venezuela. now an opposition figure,
ezuela, crops are spoiling Associated Press estimates that Venezuela’s
in the fields — at a time of run company PDVSA esti- implemented against PDV- rots, onions, tomatoes and farming output is down 90
unprecedented hunger — mated to be producing at SA this year to pressure him peppers. The lack of fuel is percent from its 2005-2007
as farmers become the lat- 10 to 15% of its capacity. from office and put opposi- driving the industry toward average, with fuel shortag-
est casualty of the nation’s Gasoline is dirt cheap at fill- tion leader Juan Guaidó in collapse. Robert Maldona- es adding to the blow.
deepening crisis. ing stations, but hard to find charge. do, a sweet pepper famer “The planted area is the
Without a dependable sup- — driving the black market In the middle are the na- and outspoken community smallest we’ve seen in de-
ply of gasoline, critical ship- price for a 5.3 gallon (20 li- tion’s farmers. leader, represents roughly cades,” he said, calling it
ments of pesticides have ter) container up to $100 in While the nation boasts 1,500 farmers across the ru- a “systemic collapse” of a
been entirely cut off, basic remote mountain commu- the world’s largest reserves ral stretch traversed by the supply chain for the sec-
equipment has become nities. Many motorists have of oil, agriculture and re- Andes, where the highest tor — including shortages
impossible to operate, field also grown accustomed to lated industries in Venezu- peak rises to nearly 12,800 of seed, fertilizer and spare
workers cannot be bussed waiting days to fill up their ela still account for a criti- feet (3,900 meters) above parts for tractors.
in and crops aren’t arriving cars or doing without any cal sliver of the country’s sea level. Before the oil boom start-
at markets — further jeop- at all. GDP, which has shrunk by In the past, produce rang- ed in Venezuela nearly a
ardizing an already shaky Critics blame the down- more than 70% since 2012. ing from cabbage to ba- century ago, agriculture,
sector in a country that has fall on corruption after two In rural places like the west- nanas was sent to markets forestry, and fishing made
seen a whopping 10% of decades of socialist rule, ern state of Tachira, many and kitchens across Ven- up more than 50 percent
the population emigrate. while embattled President manage to eke out liveli- ezuela. of GDP. In the 1930s farms
Oil output has reached Nicolás Maduro blames hoods by tending to crops These days, Maldonado provided 60 percent of the
record lows, with state U.S. sanctions that were such as potatoes, car- says the price of fuel has nation’s jobs.q

Only 60% of Mexican federal police make grade for new force

Associated Press soldiers and marines who the National Guard or are
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Presi- have joined the force are rejected.
dent Andrés Manuel López more used to. But apparently, some parts
Obrador said Tuesday that Lopez Obrador has ac- of the federal police may
only about 60% of Mexico’s cused federal police of be- survive; Lopez Obrador
federal police are passing ing unfit and corrupt, and said some would continue
physical and background he said Tuesday that only to patrol highways, for ex-
exams to join the new Na- 60% passed tests to join the ample.
tional Guard, despite the new force, compared to One of the key differences
fact they’re considered the 90% of military personnel. is that federal police were
elite of law enforcement Lopez Obrador said the po- sent out for limited peri-
personnel. lice had failed to keep fit, ods to outlying states as
Federal police, who had though he acknowledged needed to handle spurts in
better pay, training and he himself, at age 65, suf- crime. They were given spe-
education standards than Striking police continue to hold a federal police command fers from high blood pres- cial bonuses and stayed at
other police, have protest- center in the Iztapalapa borough, in Mexico City, Thursday, July sure. hotels.
ed recently against being 4, 2019, to protest against plans to force them into the newly The government said it has The new National Guard
reassigned to the milita- formed National Guard. reached a deal to let feder- members will live in the
rized National Guard. Associated Press al officers retire or join other regions where they are
The police say they’re be- seniority and benefits. They loss of pay and poorer liv- law enforcement agencies based and won’t de given
ing ill-treated and will lose have also objected to ing conditions, which the if they don’t want to go to deployment bonuses.q