(from El Diario De Guayana)

Municipal market customers insecure
Saturday, July 3, 2010


This is the scenario that they get every day people come to buy the lugar.Un market a bit desolate, dirty, messy, thrown into oblivion. It stumbles on stage with people entering the municipal market in San Felix. There, in addition to all these problems are added the insecurity and disdain of the authorities. Many say that things have changed, previously sold more, it was a profitable business, with which they could lift their families later. Today the picture is very different. Customers have stopped to shop there for fear of being docked together to the high cost of food. One of the owners of one who would not give his name, said he has seven years on the market, selling vegetables.


Ximena Porras
Eliezer Lopez Photos
"You are afraid to talk of reprisals can take against us, I am sorry I really do not appreciate the beautiful and the beauty of this work and who do not comply. They have years trying to fix the local market but have not done anything, and administrators spend and spend as usual. "

Common Problems

Vendors complain and make their complaints with fear but can not help but show in one way or another their dissatisfaction with what is happening inside and outside the municipal market.

"The unevenness in the floor cause people to fall, sometimes within the market in the light of all the thugs fighting with knives can injure a client or any of us. It is here that one wonders where are the guards and troopers assigned? Because we pay for safety but that does not exist here, both inside and outside around the market, "says a salesman.

They say they have not yet reached the point of committing robberies in the market but "here we are at the mercy of thugs," they say.

"The wholesalers sell us a high price to our customers but it must sell at any price because the goods are perishable and lose," they say.

The merchandise sold here is brought from distant states as well Merida, San Cristobal, Barquisimeto but does not justify its high price.

Another case is that of the Gomez brothers have a place where they sell vegetables, sat upon his father thirty years ago and later he took his entire family.

"We are struggling because there are not many sales. You buy expensive and non-market peddlers sell cheaper and you have to lower the price to win something, "said Wilmer Gomez

But acting in bad faith, since they alter the weights but have low prices and defraud people, that's wrong with honesty must be sold, said instead of going forward, for better, it goes badly, he said.

For its part, says Judith Castillo has 30 years on the market now costs earn daily bread because sales have lessen greatly.

"The market instead of going forward is going backwards, before the situation was different at noon I had sold almost everything."

"We said we are going to go to the wholesale market, but we'll see how we can be supposed that the posts because they are smaller and are not going to be so good as now. Although all seems well with this and give us a place to work. "

"Prices are expensive, the box of apples and pears are at Bs 450, Bs grapes is 300 but I looked and there, they told me they do not know when to come back by problems with imports. President Chavez as and that is slowing imports and therefore are not going to come some fruits, "said Castillo.

Deplorable conditions

Clearly, the deterioration of market facilities, which have to deal with vendors and users.

"He barely can keep the market clean facilities, keepers can not keep up," says a salesman.

"When the governor was campaigning came and promised us that the market would be in good condition during its mandate, after winning the election, never again. Just did the mayor, is only concerned with the streets paved by the market but do nothing "claim.

This requires many things, I am calling the mayor to come and see us here needs in the municipal market, they really are many, they conclude.

Wholesale Market

Another problem is the wholesale market where they sell the goods at exorbitant prices, as well as insecurity and lawlessness there. Vendors uncontrollably drink and drive as if it were a highway ensures one of the buyers of the municipal market.

"On Thursday morning when going to buy the goods, sellers came two drunk and beat two companions, in order to avoid being killed had to crawl under a truck. The police and prosecutors see everything but do nothing, "said one user.

"I want to responsible authorities that they were going to see what happens in the market," says the witness of all the irregularities that occur there.

"In the wholesale market up to four people a day steal it if it's horrible.

I would like the governor, the mayor were the wholesale market at about two o'clock in the morning and see how it works there, "says a witness.

Another scenario around

Another thing is what you see in posts around the market. There are excesses criminals, rob passers portfolios and clients who come to buy this place.

Witnesses and sellers say that recently, and man of Arab origin, then leave with his purchase was intercepted by thieves who took him to what he had bought and then stabbed him. They say that cases like this is often seen in the congested streets of the adjacent market.

They also complain about paying taxes Bs 76 and we know where to go because the working conditions are unprecedented.

"Supposedly ensure the safety patrol in the market but they do inside or outside, because we have asked for support at times and argue that off-site market is not their jurisdiction," said a casual seller. "There is no security in large businesses pay for the police to protect them," he said.