En la panadería de una concurrida calle del este de Caracas se encuentra aceite de oliva español, salsa de tomate italiana y chocolates estadounidenses. Está surtida de productos importados, impagables para muchos venezolanos. Pero un cartón amarillo advierte en su puerta: “No hay pan”.
por Ernesto TOVAR / Valentina OROPEZA/AFP
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
A woman waits at a bakery displaying a sign reading “No Bread”, in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar A sign reading “No Bread” is displayed at a bakery in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
Esperan que las colas se multipliquen (Foto AFP)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
Empty shelves (background) can be seen at a bakery in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
People queue at a bakery in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
(Foto archivo/ AFP / FEDERICO PARRA)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
People queue at a bakery in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
Baguettes are seen at one of the bakeries still offering some bread in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
A baker makes croissants at a bakery in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
A baker makes croissants at a bakery in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
A baker makes croissants at a bakery in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
A baker makes sandwich bread at one of the bakeries still offering some bread in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
Archivo AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Valentina Oropeza and Ernesto Tovar
A sign reading “No Bread” is displayed at a bakery in Caracas on February 25, 2016. On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour — if they can find any — with some bakeries rationing their bread production and others selling no bread at all. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggest known oil reserves from which it derives 96 percent of its foreign revenues, has been devastated by the drop in prices and is beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis. AFP PHOTO / FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
Varias panaderías que no tienen harina de trigo colgaron esos carteles. Las que aún disponen de sacos de 50 kilos despachan dos “canillas” de pan por consumidor temprano en la mañana, al mediodía y al final de la tarde, lo que genera largas filas.
“Tenemos los hornos parados”, declaró a la AFP el panadero Freddy Vilet, detrás de un mostrador que solo almacena charcutería y galletas. Desde hace un mes no consigue trigo y dejó de elaborar pan salado y dulce. En su local no hay pan para hamburguesas, perros calientes ni emparedados.
La caída del precio del petróleo, fuente del 96% de divisas de Venezuela, lo ha dejado casi sin recursos para comprar materias primas, provocando una severa carestía de alimentos y medicinas.
La sequía de dólares empezó ahora a afectar la producción de pan y otros derivados del trigo, un cereal que Venezuela prácticamente no produce y debe importar.
Rosa Pérez, encargada de una panadería en Chacao, en el este de Caracas, apuntó que su local trabaja al 30% de su capacidad por falta de insumos.
“Con la harina que nos queda hacemos cachitos y pizzas. Se venden más caro y nos ayuda a compensar las pérdidas”, explicó.
– Molinos parados –
Industriales, trabajadores de molinos y comerciantes coinciden en que el momento es crítico, por una caída en la producción.
“Realmente nos preocupa que se estén paralizando los molinos”, afirmó a la AFP el presidente de la Federación de Trabajadores de la Harina, Juan Crespo.
Cinco de los 12 molinos de trigo existentes en el país, que dan trabajo a unas 12.000 personas, cesaron operaciones, precisó Crespo. Las panaderías emplean a otras 8.000.
Un industrial que prefirió no identificarse confirmó a la AFP que “hay trigo para los próximos 12 días”, por lo que aplaude que el gobierno busque soluciones a “la falta de dinero y la ausencia de aprobaciones de nuevos embarques”.
“Las autoridades están asignando materia prima (comprada por el Estado) para que no se paralicen las industrias, pero la falta de divisas impactará los inventarios de alimentos”, pronosticó.
El gobierno venezolano anunció que en marzo llegarán 170.000 toneladas de trigo al país para cubrir la demanda de un mes y garantizar inventario para otros 30 días.
– Malabares de panaderos –
Tras recorrer cuatro panaderías en busca de dos “canillas”, Francesco Angelastro, de 71 años, asegura molesto que “conseguir pan se volvió un calvario”.
En Catia, oeste de Caracas, la Panadería y Arepera Venezuela 4F -en alusión a la intentona golpista de Hugo Chávez del 4 de febrero de 1992- vende pan subsidiado por el Estado, aunque sus clientes se quejan de que los precios acaban de subir y se acercan a los de una panadería privada.
Con 86 años y dos horas de cola a cuestas para comprar dos panes “campesinos”, Luis Rondón achaca al presidente socialista Nicolás Maduro la escasez de alimentos y el alza de precios por “no poner a los empresarios en cintura”.
Mientras un camión del Ministerio de Alimentación descarga harina de trigo a las puertas de la panadería estatal, Diego Morillo, de 62 años, se pregunta por qué los comerciantes no protestan. “Porque venden mucho y ganan bien con la especulación”, se responde.
Pero Jesús Masco, encargado de una panadería de 20 empleados, asegura que los clientes “no tienen ni idea” de las “maniobras” de los panaderos para mantenerse operativos.
Cuenta que antes disponían de un cupo de 100 sacos de harina de trigo al mes. “Pero hace dos años los despachos comenzaron a bajar y ahora recibimos 30 sacos si acaso”, comentó.
Rosa Pérez teme perder su empleo si no llega trigo la semana próxima. Por ahora trata de vender lo que hay, aunque viviendo con la inflación más alta del mundo -180,9% en 2015-, el bolsillo no da para mucho.
“A esas botellas de aceite de oliva le vamos a cantar cumpleaños. Ya tienen dos años en el estante y nadie las compra”, bromeó.