Bakers Arrested For Making Pastries In Venezuela

Venezuela is in the midst of a severe economic crisis, and in an attempt to combat food shortages for basic products, the government has mandated that 90 percent of wheat must go towards the production of bread, not pastries and cakes. This week four bakers were reportedly arrested for violating that rule and using too much flour for brownies and sweet breads.

According to The Guardian, bakers have protested the rule on the grounds that most bakeries can't afford to devote so much wheat to bread, because it's the more expensive pastries that actually keep the lights on. Last week, the government sent inspectors to around 700 bakeries in Caracas, Venezuela, to make sure they were using at least 90 percent of their wheat for bread, and not using more than 10 percent for more expensive things like pastries, croissants, and cakes.

Two bakers were reportedly arrested after inspectors said their bakery was using too much wheat flour for things like ham-filled croissants, sweet bread, and other pastries. Two others were detained for allegedly making brownies with wheat, though that wheat was reportedly past its best-by date. The government has reportedly taken over one of the bakeries for 90 days.