Venezuela faces national beer drought

They have been hit by shortages of milk, sugar, medicines and even toilet paper. Now Venezuelans face the prospect of a nationwide beer drought, due to strikes at the country's flagship producer. Unions backed by President Nicolas Maduro have called the strike in a row over pay with Polar, a beloved household name whose owners have long had a fractious relationship with the country's Leftist government. The company is Venezuela's largest food and drinks producer and makes up to 80 percent of the country's beer. The strike has forced the closure of half of its breweries, with others operating at reduced capacity. 16 distribution centres have also been shuttered. More…