Features: Economy

Cory Fischer Hoffman looks at the pressures facing the Venezuelan economy and the questions raised by the decision of President Nicolas Maduro’s government not to adjust (devalue) the country’s exchange rate in the near future.

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As Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro combats corruption, reassigns half of ministry positions, launches “a new stage of the revolution,” and even hints at a minimum wage increase for November, the question remains what economic steps will be taken to reverse the high inflation that critics are quick to associate with his leadership.

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As international media plays its favorite old game of lambasting the Venezuelan government, long-time observers of the Bolivarian process may be wondering how much truth lies in the prime-time reports depicting empty shelves, long lines and charts showing catastrophic inflation. How precarious is Venezuela’s current economy and, more importantly, how much are the effects of this felt by the Venezuelan people?

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Cuban economist and ex-guerilla combatant Orland Borrego, who fought alongside Che Guevara during the Cuban revolution, will be advising Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on how to establish a “total re-structuring” of the Venezuelan economy. 

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Venezuela's currency controls including its fixed exchange rate are among the most controversial of Chavez-era policies. Here is a brief, straight-forward run down of some of the pros and cons of the country's currency regime.

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Treasure hunting for milk, confronting local hoarders, overpriced Pringles, toilet paper dilemas, and black market rates that are both economically and politically profitable  for big business... here are some experiences of food and product scarcity on the ground in Venezuela.

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In the lead up to Venezuela’s presidential election earlier this year, the picture painted in most private media was that of a country falling apart. But a brief look at the statistics offers a very different story, one that helps explain why the majority of the Venezuelan people keep re-electing a government that, according to the private media, is driving the country into the ground.

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