Introduction of coffee beans in Venezuelan cafes

Venezuela sells "socialist" coffee Venezuelan cafes

Recently, in Venezuela's state-owned coffee chain "Venezuela Cafe", there has been a particularly interesting phenomenon: the store provides customers with two contrasting price lists, where each coffee has two prices of "socialist" and "capitalist". In this particular way, coffee shops aim to show customers the disadvantages of free markets and the benefits of regulated economies.

At a "Venezuelan Cafe" in downtown Caracas, Venezuela's capital, the "socialist" price of a large cup of coffee offered on the menu is 2.5 bolivars (about 3.87 yuan). In addition, the menu lists the "capitalist" price of this coffee sold elsewhere as 5 bolivars (about 7.74 yuan). It is said that this is done both to provide Venezuelans with discounted coffee and to promote the left-wing politics of Venezuelan President Chavez.

This approach of the cafe has been supported by many Venezuelan citizens, and the queue of guests has been extended to the road. Many said they would be happier if coffee shops offered more cheap coffee. Cristobal Isturiz, a 70-year-old interior decorator sipping coffee with friends on the cafe's terrace, said: "This cafe is a symbol of the state's policy to eliminate the exploitation of the poor."

Critics, meanwhile, argue that Café Venezuela and other similar initiatives are populist gimmicks that mask Venezuela's deep economic problems.