Venezuelan falls 11 kilos, hunger strikes

caracas - The Venezuelan lost 11 kilos on average in 2017 and 90 percent of the population of 30 million people now live in poverty. This has shown the latest study on the impact of the dramatic economic crisis and food shortages.

Teams from three universities conduct an annual survey on the physical consequences of the abuses in the oil-rich South American country. In 2016 they found an average weight loss of 8 kilos. The situation worsened last year due to the unchanged policy of the communist government Maduro.

This time, 6168 Venezuelans from 20 to 65 years across the country participated in the study. Their income has dropped dramatically, prices have risen enormously. Virtually no one eats healthy and gets enough vitamins and proteins.

The government has not published any data on public health since the first half of 2015. At the time, 33 percent of Venezuelans were poor. There is no prospect of improvement. Elections will take place on 22 April. President Nicolás Maduro is the only serious candidate. The opposition, whose leaders are stuck, fled or are not allowed to participate, called for a boycott on Wednesday.