Carola SOLÉ
Ever since Venezuelan government agents put up a giant "Sale" sign in his storefront, crowds have been lining up outside Juan Vieira's shoe shop. But he's having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. "What good is it to sell shoes if I'm giving away my product?" Stuck in a nasty economic crisis, Venezuela is facing a Scrooge-worthy Christmas this year. The world's highest inflation rate has gutted Venezuelans' incomes and chronic shortages have left them struggling to buy food, let alone presents.
Seeking to spread some cheer, President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government has set aside its distaste for consumerism and sent a small army of bureaucrats and soldiers to force more than 200 retail stores in Caracas to hold Christmas sales.........In 2013, he forced a household appliance chain to slash its prices by up to 70 percent. The company survived, but some stores' shelves were still bare as much as a year later.......
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