Venezuelan Crisis: Government Orders Forced Labor

Don’t tell socialist Bernie Sanders, but in socialist Venezuela, where the inflation rate is forecast to top 700 per cent, the economy is expected to decrease by 10% this year, and the country’s ports have come under army control, laws established by the government have established the use of forced labor.

On Thursday, Amnesty International released a statement asserting, “A new decree establishing that any employee in Venezuela can be effectively made to work in the country’s fields as a way to fight the current food crisis is unlawful and effectively amounts to forced labor.” Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, stated, “The new decree completely misses the point when it comes to finding ways for Venezuela to crawl out of the deep crisis it has been submerged in for years. Trying to tackle Venezuela’s severe food shortages by forcing people to work the fields is like trying to fix a broken leg with a band aid.”