| Editor's Introduction: Defying sanctions imposed by the Trump regime, Russia is keeping its commitment in a standing trade deal with Venezuela to supply us with 60,000 tons of wheat each month. 30,000 tons has just arrived at Puerto Cabello yesterday and a second shipment of 30,000 tons is already on its way, "in the water," according to Venezuelan Vice President, Tarek El Aissami. People have been arriving every day at around 4 in the morning at a panadería near my home to wait in line for their daily ration of bread at controlled prices, hot from the bakery at 8 or 9 a.m. Another line forms at about noon for bread coming out of the ovens at 5 pm. When all the bread available has been sold those still in line are turned away after waiting for hours. Each of the many panaderias here have had the same long bread lines every day. When this sad hardship for people began a couple years ago, I asked a good friend of mine, one of the owners, "What's going on? You've always had excellent fresh bread throughout the day, enough for everyone." Leaning over the counter he said in a low voice, "No tenemos el trigo." (We don't have wheat flour). Before the US war on the economy went full tilt, this panaderia used 180 kilos of wheat flour a day or about 1200 kilos a week. For more than a year now they have only been receiving 350 kilos a week when at least 700 kilos more are needed to satisfy demand. Long before the latest wave of ramped up US sanctions in the long war on the Venezuelan economy, the US, Canada and Argentina's right wing Marcri regime stopped or cut short their exports of wheat flour to us, just one small part of Washington's quest to create artificial food shortages, hoping to cause an uprising against the government of Nicolás Maduro. But Venezuelans are patient - and resilient. They are also politically astute. It's clear to me that Washington far underestimates both, them and their President. - Les Blough in Venezuela. Reported by Ultima Noticias, Caracas, September 1, 2017 Grace Oria.-The first shipment of wheat flour, containing 30,000 tonnes from Russia, arrived in Puerto Cabello on Friday. Vice President Tarek El Aissami commented that this cargo represents the first "anti-lock added operation" to counter the economic sanctions imposed by the United States last August 25 to Venezuela. "From this day forward, worldwide solidarity is with the people of Venezuela in the face of the infamous, insolent aggressions, and the alleged blockade by the North American empire under Trump. The people of Venezuela, with the world standing next to Venezuela, expresses its love and solidarity, "said El Aissami, accompanied by the head of the Great Mission Sovereign Supply and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López. He stressed that a second ship with wheat flour has already sailed from Russia, to complement this shipment bringing the total to 60 thousand tons shipped this month. El Aissami estimates that a total of 600 thousand tons of wheat flour will be received from Russia by December. "It is in international waters, heading to Puerto Cabello, with 60 thousand tons of wheat flour, among other raw materials and Russia ensures a permanent supply to our Venezuelan people," said El Aissami. Padrino López assured that it is important to remind the Venezuelan people that the Great Mission Sovereign Supply began to control the ports to avoid diversion of the raw material. "To control the mafias, the small groups, the subgroups, precisely to avoid the diversion of the raw material, the bachaquerismo* of the raw material", added Padrino López. Source: Última Noticias Translated by Axis of Logic * A Venezuelan term for a system of selling products at exorbitant illegal prices by "bachequeros." Translation © Copyright 2017 by AxisofLogic.com This material is available for republication as long as reprints include verbatim copy of the article in its entirety, respecting its integrity. Reprints must cite the original source including a "live link" to the article and to the Axis of Logic translation. Thank you! |