The Stream

Empty shelves and bans on grocery lines in Venezuela

Local authorities prohibit residents from lining up at night.

Three states in Venezuela have banned residents from queuing outside grocery stores at night, after reports of fights breaking out in recent weeks.

Venezuela’s grocery shortages have worsened since December, forcing many to wait in lines for hours to buy basic goods.

President Nicolas Maduro, however, says that Venezuela’s opposition and elite are attempting to destabilize the country by hoarding and overpricing goods.

For the past two weeks, Venezuelans have tweeted photos of food lines and hollowed out grocery stories using the hashtag #AnaquelesVaciosEnVenezuela, Spanish for “empty shelves in Venezuela.”