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CUMANÁ, Venezuela—Medical staff at the University Hospital in this eastern Venezuelan city delivered two premature infants that needed incubation earlier this year. But because of the shortages plaguing the country, the hospital had only one functioning incubator, forcing staff to make an agonizing choice. They put the stronger of the two babies in the incubator. The other died days later.

Scenes like that continue to play out across this crisis-hit country on a daily basis. In the first five months of this year—the latest period for which government statistics are available—4,074 babies in Venezuela died before reaching a year, up 18.5% from the period last year and more than 50% from that period of 2012.

In Venezuelan hospital, newborns in cardboard boxes

You might think that Venezuela demonstrates that socialism is a bad idea. But perhaps you are not open-minded enough. You should consider the opinion of an expert in the theory, someone who knows what they are talking about.

I hoped that Bernie Sanders, a social democrat, or democratic socialist, might be able to provide some perspective. He certainly has original ideas.

“It’s funny, sometimes American journalists talk about how bad a country is, that people are lining up for food. That is a good thing! In other countries people don’t line up for food: the rich get the food and the poor starve to death.”

Unfortunately, he has been too busy with other matters.

LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: I am sure that you know about this topic: various leftist governments, especially the populists, are in serious trouble in Latin America. The socialist model in Venezuela has the country near collapse. Argentina, also Brazil, how do you explain that failure?

BERNIE SANDERS, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: You are asking me questions…

LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: I am sure you’re interested in that.

BERNIE SANDERS, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: I am very interested, but right now I’m running for President of the United States.

LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: So you don’t have an opinion about the crisis in Venezuela?

BERNIE SANDERS, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: Of course I have an opinion, but as I said, I’m focused on my campaign.

Not feeling it, Bernie.