Hundreds of Venezuelans took to the streets overnight on Wednesday to protest a shortage of pork for traditional Christmas meals as the socialist ruined country continues to struggle.
The protest ignited in poor parts of Caracas after President Nicholas Maduro’s socialist government failed to deliver on a promise to provide people in many areas with subsidized meat.
According to Reuters, the protest spilled over into Thursday morning as social media users started tagging the outrage as the “pork revolution.”
As protesters stood on the street and burned trash cans, Venezuelan President Maduro went on state TV to blame Portugal for failing to deliver pork imports in time for Christmas.
“What happened to the pork? They sabotaged us. I can name a country: Portugal,” Maduro said.
Maduro has been quick to blame the country’s woes on anything but the government’s interference in its own economy. The Venezuelan leader has touted the line that his people are being subjected to economic warfare at the hands of foreign nations.
“We bought the pork, signed the agreements – but they pursued the bank accounts of the boats,” Maduro added on Thursday, without providing many details. “With or without sabotage, no one will take away the happiness of Christmas from the people.”
Protests have been a normal sight inside Venezuela during this holiday season as the “pork revolution” signifies the continuation of the country’s food crisis, blackouts effect millions, water is rationed and long lines form for gasoline.
Decades of socialist policies, which began ramping up in late 1950’s, and central bank manipulation has left Venezuela in shambles.
According to a survey conducted by several native universities, over 10 million Venezuelan parents skip at least one meal so that their children can get the nutrition they need.
Things have become so bad for the country on the northern coast of South America that people have resorted to stealing and eating zoo animals.
Hyperinflation has also struck the nation, leaving holiday shoppers paying some 500,000 bolívars for a pair of Converse knockoffs shoes.
A senior official inside the Venezuelan government has said he would seek information from the Portuguese embassy in Venezuela to clarify the situation regarding the lack of government-subsidized meat, although history books have already clearly explained why socialism is a total failure.
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