CARACAS, Thursday October 11, 2007 | Update
Minister of Alimentation Rafael Oropeza said 70 percent of
the purchases made by the government-run food retail chain
Mercal are imports through the Corporation of Supply and Agricultura
Services.
Purchases abroad include staples such as chicken, powder
milk, sugar, beams and edible oil.
Based on the figures provided by Oropeza, imports jumped
24.4 percent compared to 2006, when CASA purchases abroad
represented 45.6 percent (USD 480 million) of the funds earmarked
to buy food.
04:20 PM. Western Hemisphere. Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said on Tuesday that governments should ensure citizens' rights to live on the border, in reference to a political and diplomatic crisis with Venezuela and its effects on border residents.