It's a good thing Venezuela started running out of milk, butter, coffee, and cornmeal—nature's laxatives, if you will—before the toilet paper shortage. An attempt to provide basic needs to the poor through price controls has completely backfired, resulting in nationwide shortages of the bare necessities. Though the socialist government insists the private sector and antigovernment forces are behind the shortages, they are planning to import 50 million rolls of toilet paper and 760,000 tons of food—so hopefully the people of Venezuela won't be hungry—or worse, have to hold it—for long.
