Dozens of people in Venezuela had a clash with police authorities on Thursday in the southern Bolivar state's countryside. The incident was the latest of around 500 protests recorded and reported this month as fuel and food turn scarce in Venezuela.

Despite the government of Nicolas Maduro's six-week lockdown order in response to COVID-19, demonstrations demanding for food have occurred in 15 different states just this month, with violence and looting in three of them, said the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict. The protests, though, have not reached Caracas yet.

One Dead, 33 Arrested

In the said protest in Bolivar, one man reportedly died. In contrast, several others were injured, and 33 got arrested after they looted nearby stores and municipal markets near the Upata town.

A separate incident was reported indicating dozens of residents in Cumanacoa's eastern town. They were said to have been forcing their way into a chicken farm and five food retailers on Wednesday. In this particular incident, according to Robert Alcala, a local lawmaker, two individuals were shot, and 33 were arrested.

Similar incidents were reported in Bolivar, Lara, and Yaracuy a week ago. As a result, armed forces quashed the discontent and unsatisfied and detaining demonstrators, according to the local media.

Leaving Home for Food Runs

Other Venezuelans across the nation, according to reports, "leave their homes for food runs," and dodge protests. More so, stocking up, not to mention, hunkering up was never a choice for many of them who are too poor to buy enough stocks in advance.

Moreover, shortages in gasoline take a toll on the already fragile chains of supply, disrupting deliveries of food and public transportation anywhere in the country. Undeniably, this situation is likely to go on: a "few signs of long-term relief intended for local refineries" are evident.

And, for the meantime, crops in rural states have been wasted since farmers cannot collect the grains and fruits on empty tanks.

Most Venezuelans Unable to Buy Food

Even before the COVID-19 crisis, most of the Venezuelans have already been suffering from hunger. In an article Reuters released two years ago, it was indicated that roughly 93 percent of the Venezuelans could not afford to buy food enough for them to survive.

Meanwhile, the same article as based on a study conducted by three universities stated that 73 percent of these people had lost weight in the past year. More so, around this time, long before the implementation of lockdowns and stay-at-home order, children begging in front of markets and restaurants were then a common sight.

Aside from the beggar-children, more and more people were also, at that time, salvaged food they would eat from the trash. As for the middle-class people, they were seen cutting back on vegetables or meat, and instead, surviving on cheaper starches. 

Traditionally a pro-government, more impoverished area, some western Caracas parts were home to road barricades and graffiti that read, "Maduro dictators!" More so, because of hardship in life, clashes between the National Guards and hooded youth were quite evident then.

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