Thanks socialism! In Venezuela, people eat ZOO animals to survive

Prized animals starving, being butchered for food as people become desperate.

Socialism has failed hard in Venezuela where people have taken to a gruesome practice to stay alive. Authorities in the country say people are sneaking into zoos to eat the animals.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - In 2015, the falling price of oil and other socialist economic policies resulted in the collapse of the national economy.

Strict price controls have resulted in shortages. Foreign exchange has become nearly impossible. It is no longer worth it to produce food or to transport it or sell it.

It's astounding to report the government has no intention of changing their strict controls.

For almost two years, people have been queuing up in long lines to buy staples. The first thing to go was toilet paper. After that, other staples began to disappear. Now, people line up for 12 hours just to buy staple goods, which often run out before the line does.

The country has responded by rationing. Troops now guard food lines. And in the latest scheme, the poor, hungry and impoverished people are being conscripted as forced labor to produce food on government farms.

Millions of people are stressed, angry and upset. Above all they are starving. Many are on the brink of death because the nation's economy has entirely collapsed.

To stave off hunger, people have resorted to eating whatever they can. Family pets, stray animals, and now zoo animals are on the menu.

Horses are being slaughtered and fed to zoo animals. Other zoo animals are being fed the wrong food because that's all there is. Lions and tigers are eating pumpkins.

Other animals are being eaten themselves. And people are breaking into the zoos to do it.

Last weekend people waited until nightfall to break into a zoo. They led away a prize animal, a rare black stallion. The horse was walked to a secluded location, then killed and slaughtered. The head and some bones were all that remained after sunrise.

Pigs and sheep are long gone. Pigeons are being hunted.

Perhaps using these animals for food is better than simply allowing them to starve.

Venezuela is proof that a strict socialist economic system doesn't work. Capitalism has similar episodes, but tends to self-correct over time.

The best system is a blend, Capitalism is a powerful engine for prosperity. A smattering of socialism to ensure nobody starves is a decent thing to have. When managed by an ethical government that will prevent excesses, capitalism can sustain all the people of the world.

The people of Venezuela must demand economic reform of from their government. Until this happens, they will continue to starve.

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