Rachel Cunliffe looks at The dark side of price controls in Venezuela
Shortages of basic goods, from food to fuel, have led to a sharp increase in crime and situations “where police officers are gunned down for their weapons, trucks ambushed for merchandise and commuters held up for cellphones.” Now the shortage of motorcycle parts is so severe that bikers are being attacked for their vehicles, and in some cases murdered.
This is the reality of price fixing and currency controls.
Read the whole thing.
Related:
Grenades galore
The central government prefers to blame violence on drug traffickers and politically-motivated paramilitaries. But that view isn’t that far from the truth: these criminal gangs sort-of fit the basic definition of a paramilitary body, and many of those groups (such as the infamous “El Picure” gang) are involved in drug-related activities. However, the political angle the government desperately wants to stick onto the problem simply doesn’t match the evidence available.
Our crime epidemic is surpassing all estimations, to the point that Venezuela is (according to the Brazilian think tank Instituto Igarape) the second most murderous country in the planet. If you are being murdered, there is a high chance you are in Venezuela.
Godgiven Traps His Enemies With Him In Venezuela
UPDATE:
Linked to by Rantburg. Thank you!
linked on Rantburg.com for tomorrow’s posts – with credit
Now the shortage of motorcycle parts is so severe that bikers are being attacked for their vehicles, and in some cases murdered.
Given the way that the motorizados [motorcycle gangs]- who admittedly are probably a minority of motorcycle riders in Venezuela- have performed as shock troops for Chavismo, not everyone is going to see that as a bad thing.