Venezuela’s epic shortages are nothing new at this point. No diapers or car parts or aspirin -- it’s all been well documented. But now the country is at risk of running out of money itself.

Venezuela should be rich. Instead it’s becoming a failed state

The country with the largest oil reserves in the world can't afford to brew its own beer, stay in its own time zone, or even have its own people show up to work more than two times a week.

Venezuela troops occupy food distribution warehouses

Venezuelan troops occupied a Caracas warehouse complex used by local food giant Empresas Polar and Nestle to distribute food and beverages, workers and company officials said on Thursday.

The move follows months of accusations by President Nicolas Maduro that Polar, the country's largest private employer, is working to sabotage the economy. The company denies this.

Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez expropriated several warehouses from Polar, in some cases arguing that the space should be used to build houses for the poor....

"If we don't work, we don't eat," said truck driver Carlos Munoz, a 43-year-old contractor for Polar. He transports food and drink from the site to shops and distributors. "There's no food in Venezuela and now they do this! How are people going to eat?"...

Around 50 people on Thursday rallied outside the complex in support of the measure, chanting, "We want homes." "Many of us here don't have homes. Chavez promised us homes," said Lindomar Nieves, a 37-year-old mechanic holding a Venezuelan flag.

Venezuela’s Hunger Is No Game

The god-father of “21st-century socialism” seems to have been unaware that the resources he promised to shower on his people had to first be produced. Fifteen years into the Bolivarian revolution, Venezuela is facing dire food shortages.

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Assassinated Days After 1.8 Million Sign Petition To Oust Maduro

German Mavare, leader of the opposition UNT party, died Friday after being shot in the head.... Maduro has appeared on State TV tying Mavare to "armed groups" and suggested that more right-wing politicians are potential targets.

One cherry-picked example is no proof that a socialist, centrally planned economy is destined to fail. It would be premature to conclude that any socialist aspiring to public office is at best an insensitive joke, at worst a menace and grave threat to the already poor. See comments below for counterexamples of successful planned economies before jumping to conclusions.