A new Venezuelan government document, dated Aug. 14, 2015, was leaked to local media sources and published on Sept. 16, according to a report from the PanAm Post. The document reveals that the current shortage rate for most items is at 70%; it also stated that Venezuelans now have absolutely no access to 15 specific food items, 18 personal care items, and eight cleaning products due to the shortages.
The findings were part of a larger study conducted by Venezuela’s Office of the Vice President, and the leaked document indicates that it’s the 19th study conducted by the government to measure its shortages. This is the first time, however, that the media has ever accessed an official government document regarding the country’s shortages; the last time President Maduro’s office released information on Venezuela’s shortages was back in February 2014.
Of the food items measured, the easiest product to find was pasteurized fruit juice (which has a shortage rate of 43%) while the most scarce products are fruit compotes (with a shortage rate of 92%).
As for personal care items and cleaning products, 96% of the stores surveyed did not have baby diapers in stock and 42% lacked toothpaste. Laundry detergent is only missing 67% of the time from store shelves — and it’s actually one of the easier cleaning products to find — while dishwasher soap is only available in 88% of Venezuelan stores.
According to the latest reports (dated July 2015), the average Venezuelan family would have to bring in 8.8 minimum-wage salaries in order to cover the cost of essential items. But with the country’s overall shortage rate at 36.2% this past August, many families can’t even find the items to begin with.
