When a government intervenes in a free market – no matter how much or how little – you get instances like these: shortages of the most basic supplies around, including toilet paper and soap.
Since the government of Venezuela introduces price controls and fierce public intrusion into the intricacies of the marketplace, the once “socialist paradise” has descended into the doldrums of suffering and poverty. As we have reported on numerous occasions, consumers can’t purchase food, water, toiletries and many other products.
Last week, Fusion published a head-scratching report about how Venezuelan hotels are asking tourists to bring their own toilet paper and soap when they travel to the Latin American country, says a local tourism industry spokesperson.
Due to the shortages of these products, the hotel chains can’t offer their guests these simple items, which can be found in any hotel in the United States, Canada, Great Britain and other countries. In fact, these hotels have conceded that they haven’t had toilet paper, soap, milk, coffee or sugar in more than a year.
This is prompting hotels to ask their visitors to “come prepared” otherwise it’ll be unpleasant.
Venezuela will soon be in the middle of the heavy tourism season as tourists will want to witness the country’s vast mountain landscapes and divine sceneries, but hotels, both large and small, will have a difficult time keeping up with the influx of guests.
“Five hotels have told me they are going through this situation, where they have to ask guests to bring their own toilet paper,” Gerardo Montilla, president of Merida’s tourism chamber, told the website. “We’re near the border with Colombia, just two and a half hours away, and lots of [Venezuelan] goods are taken there, because they sell for more money in Colombia.”
Although hotels are requesting guests to bring their own supplies, government officials have been stopping tourists from transporting various goods across the country in order to cease the selling of certain products in the black market. This means guests can’t even use toilet paper during their stay.
One hotel owner said a roll of toilet paper in the black market costs 110 bolivars ($0.50), which is usually 17 bolivars ($0.08) in the supermarket. He added that he doesn’t want to participate in the continuation of the black market, plus he doesn’t have four hours in a day to spend lining up.
There you have it, a great example of socialism. When the state intervenes into the mechanisms of markets, you have shortages of products that are prevalent in other market economies. Answer this: why would there be loads and loads of toilet paper in your nearby supermarket but becomes scarce in a socialist country?
Every Country deserves the Government they have.