The program, unsurprisingly named
"Happy Christmas Plan 2014," is the government's response to
Venezuela's acute shortages. For months, basic items have been missing from
store shelves -- toilet paper, medicines, and even deodorant have all
disappeared at one point or another. Faced with the real possibility of
scarcity playing Scrooge this holiday season, the government has decided to
intervene by directly importing many of the sought-after items and selling them
directly at subsidized prices, cutting out the middlemen. The government is
focusing on six broad categories: toys, clothing, appliances, food, shoes, and
hardware. Aside from selling the goods directly at military installations and
government supermarkets, the government has also started inspecting private
vendors of these items to make sure their shelves are stocked and that they're
adhering strictly to pricing regulations. In order to regulate the purchase of
the items, the government is restricting sales by fingerprinting customers. More…
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