63% of Venezuelans Support Government Measures to Fight Smuggling: Poll

Sixty three percent of the Venezuelan population supports president Nicolas Maduro’s measures to fight food smuggling, according to the most recent monthly survey. The survey results were published on Sunday on the Jose Vicente Hoy TV show.

The survey, conducted by Hinterlaces, also reveals that 52 percent of population backs the Biometric identification system to be installed at Venezuela’s supermarkets to avoid speculation and goods hoarding while 42 percent do not agrees with the measure.

However, 47 percent of the respondents said that Maduro’s assertion that food smuggling to Colombia is the major cause of shortages was false, with 42 percent believing the president.

President Maduro recently announced a series of measures to address the shortages in Venezuela that, according to authorities, is caused by the massive smuggling of food and gasoline to Colombia.

As part of these measures, Venezuela closed all its checkpoints with Colombian border at night.

Dozens of tons of food and gasoline gallons have been seized by Venezuelan authorities in recent days when smugglers tried to carry them to Colombia.

Many basic consumer goods are subject to price regulations in Venezuela, and can be resold at higher prices in Colombia and Brazil.

Around 40 percent of domestic produce is smuggled abroad, according to government estimates.