Venezuelan officials accompanied by soldiers have seized "temporary" control of a US-owned pasta producer. Venezuela says the facility, owned by the big US firm Cargill, had violated regulations on price controls intended to guarantee cheap food for the poor. The move further increases President Hugo Chavez's hold on the economy, after a series of recent take-overs of private and foreign-owned businesses.
A rice plant owned by Cargill was taken over earlier this year. A Cahill Rice Division executive, Paddy Field, told us,"Luckily it was only one plant. It was actually sitting in a window box outside the main building and was beginning to look a bit fragile. Chavez is welcome to it."
Following regulating prices on food essentials such as rice, milk and cheese, the President has recently nationalised production of pasta, celery, bicarbonate of soda, and dates. A new company has been created to regulate these called, 'Chavez PastaCelBiDate'.
