Toilet Paper Shortage in Venezuela

Venezuela is running out of toilet paper.

One supermarket, visited by the Associated Press in the capital of Caracas on Wednesday was out of toilet paper. Another had just received a fresh batch, and it quickly filled up with shoppers as the word spread.

"I've been looking for it for two weeks," said Cristina Ramos. "I was told that they had some here and now I'm in line."

Economists say Venezuela's shortages stem from price controls meant to make basic goods available to the poorest parts of society and the government's controls on foreign currency.

President Nicolas Maduro, who was selected by the dying Hugo Chávez to carry on his "Bolivarian revolution", claims that anti-government forces, including the private sector, are causing the shortages in an effort to destabilise the country.

The government this week announced it also would import 760,000 tons of food in addition to the 50m rolls of toilet paper.

We had a call on the morning show today from a listener that had an interesting TP story from the Azores.