Venezuela: Working-class collectives hijack Polar trucks in Caracas, protest hoarding

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela: Working-class collectives hijack Polar trucks in Caracas, protest hoarding

Tuesday, February 23, 2016
By Rachael Boothroyd, Caracas


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Graffiti reads: 'Less beer, more food. Release the food
Lorenzo Mendoza!' Photo via Venezuela Analysis.
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Protesters in working-class western Caracas hijacked trucks belonging to Venezuela's number one private food chain, Polar, on February 18, demanding the company cease hoarding essential goods.

The Polar food and beverage conglomerate is Venezuela's largest private food provider, selling a range of products from beer to corn flour. But its owner, millionaire businessman Lorenzo Mendoza, has been consistently embroiled in scandal.

He is accused by both Venezuela's socialist government and its grassroots supporters of hoarding food, misappropriating state-subsidised dollars for imports and conspiring with right-wing politicians to oust the nation's elected government. Mendoza denies the allegations.

One protester said: “We communities in Catia decided to come out onto the streets in protest, one because there is not food to be got, and two, against the Polar business.”

A video of the ensuing demonstration made public by the community media initiative “LaOtraTV” (The Other TV) showed at least five trucks parked on by the side of the road, just outside the Polar warehouse in Catia. They were daubed with slogans such as “release the food, Lorenzo Mendoza” and “we don't want poison, we want food for the people”.

The practice of hijacking vehicles to express political grievances has a long history in Venezuela -- especially in urban working class zones in Caracas.

More:
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/61134

[juxtaposed]

1. one person one vote. White venezuela's have not learned this basic truth yet. They will soon.

[Judi Lynn]

3. They definitely are going to be educated by life experience. Thanks for your post. n/t

[juxtaposed]

4. they have been for years about their vote.

[Marksman_91]

2. Bull-shit. Polar is the most productive business in Venezuela.

If it wasn't for them, the country would be in even more dire straits. I dare you to find a piece that talks about the REAL workers at Polar, not these brown-nosers paid by the Chavista regime to stir up trouble where there isn't. Once again you're replicating all the propaganda that comes out of the sewage drain that is the Chavista media.