An examination conducted by The Economist found that Caracas is one of only three cities in the world to see a dramatic decrease in the standard of living of its citizens over the past five years. The other cities were Tripoli, Libya, and Damascus, Syria. You can see the chart tracking the downward spiral here.
Tripoli and Damascus saw decreases in standards of living mostly due to the recent wars that have ravaged them.
Caracas was also the only city in all of America which saw a decrease in standard of living between 2009 and 2014.
Prices Continue to Rise
Following price increases last week, the Superintendencia Nacional para la Defensa de los Derechos Socioeconomicos [National Superintendence for the Defence of Socioeconomic Rights] (SUNDEE) approved price increases today for the following items: bar and liquid soap and laundry detergents.
Detergents will see a minimum increase of 30.3%, while bath soap will see increases of up to 63.8%.
Students Expelled from Colombia, Facing Charges in Venezuela
Student representatives Lorent Gomez Saleh and Gabriel Valles Sguerzi were deported from Colombia this weekend and transported to Valencia, Carabobo, where they will answer to charges of failure to appear. Both students were ordered in 2010 to report their whereabouts to authorities every 21 days as a result of protest activities they were carrying on at the time.
Saleh and Valles have been in Colombia since February 19 of this year, and have thus not checked in with Venezuelan authorities as ordered. They were deported this weekend for violating their visa conditions for allegedly engaging in political activities.
Saleh was transported to the Palacio de Justicia in Valencia, Carabobo this afternoon by SEBIN agents. It is expected that he will remain there until a judge makes a decision on his case.
Lorent’s mother, Yamile Saleh, was present at the courthouse holding her son in Valencia today with a sign that read, “My God, where is my son, Lorent?”
9,000 Bakeries Declare Resource Emergency
The Federacion Venezolana de Industriales de la Panificacion y Afines [Venezuelan Federation of Bakeries and Related Industries] declared an emergency today due to the lack of raw materials it needs for its members to operate. The federation also asked the government to take steps to ensure raw materials make their way to bakeries around the country.
The president of the federation, Tomas Ramos, said that bakeries around the country lack the flour, sugar, raisins and olives they need to operate effectively. As a result, Ramos said, bakeries have had to take other measures, including lending each other ingredients in order to keep one another in business.
Ramos called for direct government intervention in the crisis, saying:
It’s important that [the government intervene] because consumer complaints are increasing, and there is a risk that many of them will be unable to provide important, necessary products for Venezuelan diets…
In Venezuela 