Venezuela crisis: Jobless and hungry in industrial city of Valencia

It's mid-morning and it's another hot and humid day in Valencia, Venezuela's third-largest city. A group of men are standing outside the gates of a factory. Among them is Gerard, a union representative. He is angry. "Nine-hundred people are employed here, but only 400 work every day," he says. "The rest are all at home and are only being paid half their salary, and it's been like this for months." This is just one of many plants belonging to Polar, the country's biggest private industrial corporation. It produces everything from fizzy drinks to ice cream, beer and even detergents. This one, Alimentos Polar, specialises in tomato sauce and mayonnaise. More…