Venezuelan Government Guarantees Food at Fair Prices

The following article was taken from the newspaper called Granma.

CARACAS, May 16. —Up to 11.5 million of the 28 million Venezuelans will benefit from the MERCAL food supply program at subsidized prices, reported Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez.

Venezuela saw the opening of SuperMERCAL (a mega market) in the state of Cojedes and 89 "Mercalitos" (small grocery stores) spread throughout the country, which currently supply 10.5 million people.

In his Sunday radio program Aló Presidente, Chávez said that such a figure does not include other food programs such as PDVAL and the Venezuelan Food Corporation, which distribute food and other products at prices below market rates.

Chávez noted that the distribution network is a socialist principle, which, unlike the capitalist system trying to get profits as a single target, this aims at providing care to humans.