things that matter

While People In The U.S. Are Fighting For Deals On Toys, The Venezuela Government Just Pulled Millions Of Toys

By December 12, 2016 at 2:48 pm

Depending on who you ask, Venezuelan President Nicolás Madura is either the Grinch who stole Christmas or a yuletide Robin Hood who took from the rich in order to sell to the poor.

CNN reports that On Saturday the Venezuelan government confiscated almost 4 million toys from warehouses owned by the Kreisel toy company. Why? Because according to Sundde, Venezuela’s consumer protection agency, Kreisel “committed fraud” against the country by pretending they have less toys available than they actually do to drive the prices up. Toys are on the list of items that the socialist Venezuelan government regulates and therefore have to be sold at approved prices.

Two executives at Kreisel have been arrested. Kreisel hasn’t made an official statement, but they have been on Twitter retweeting supportive messages.

This confiscation of toys came about just two weeks before Christmas, which may make it hard for some people to buy toys for holiday gifts.

Critics of the Venezuelan government toy seizure compared Madura to the Grinch.


Or worse.


Others say they don’t agree with the Robin Hood-like move.


The government, however, seems to think that they’re saving Christmas for the poorer children of Venezuela as they plan to make the toys available for lower-than-market prices to families in impoverished neighborhoods, as reported by CNN.


Only time will tell if this was a Grinch move or a Robin Hood-esque redistribution of toys.


Find out more about Venezuela’s controversial toy seizure here.

Don’t be the Grinch who didn’t share this story, click on the button below and spread the news.

Tags: , ,

Mezcal Demand Is Putting Mexican Farmers In Jeopardy

Food & Drink

Mezcal Demand Is Putting Mexican Farmers In Jeopardy

CREDIT: DENVER AND LIELY / INSTAGRAM
By Lucas Molandes December 12, 2016 at 3:14 pm

Once upon a time, it seemed like mezcal was doomed to forever live in the shadow of tequila’s popularity. Mainstream consumers saw mezcal as a drink for the poor, working class farmers who occupied some of the more remote regions of Mexico. But trends are changing, Slate reports, and mezcal is slowly becoming the “it” drink for high end consumers; bottles for mezcal can easily top $100US or more.

As prices for high quality mezcal skyrocket, entrepreneurs are tapping Oaxacan farmers for a quick profit.

image2
CREDIT: DENVER AND LIELY / INSTAGRAM

Unfortunately, as Slate reports, mezcal’s production leans heavily on a limited number of farmers who have dedicated their lives to perfecting the distillation process, using techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation. But as the popularity of mezcal increases, companies in search of massive profits will be forced to take production out of the hands of farmers. We saw this happen with tequila production many years ago, and unless business practices change, mezcal may face the same fate. Read the whole story at Slate.

[H/T] Mezcal Could Be the Next Tequila


READ: 11 Reasons Why We Have A Love / Hate Relationship With Tequila

Recommend this story by clicking on the share button below. 

Tags: mezcal, Tequila
We recommend
As Venezuelan Migrants Flee To Nearby Colombia, A Tech Startup With Japanese Investment Has Become Their Lifeline

More than 3.4 million Venezuelans have fled their country in the past few years amid a collapsing economy and political turmoil. Many have migrated to nearby Colombia where more than 1.2 million Venezuelans are now living and those numbers could balloon to 2 million by this year’s end. This has created new challenges as well […]
Their Daughters Were Mercilessly Ripped From Them And Now These Women Are Seeking To Solve These Murder Mysteries

One group of Venezuelan women hopes to find justice for hundreds of victims whose murders have gone unsolved. They blame the government.
Check Out Venezuela’s Tumultuous And Profound History Through Photos

While the world is still recovering from the shock of seeing the iconic Notre Dame burn, it’s more important than ever for us to appreciate the artifacts we have access to that show the trials and tribulations of history. Where Venezuela is concerned, there are plenty of things that showcase its tumultuous and amazing history. […]

Paid Promoted Stories