The Venezuelan government says it has imported thousands of tons of basic foodstuffs and will begin distributing them through communal councils directly to family homes. In Caracas the Food Minister, Rodolfo Marco Torres, said 70% of the country’s food would be supplied in this way.

The Venezuelan opposition says the new system could discriminate against them. The country has been badly hit by the fall in oil prices and is suffering severe shortages in food and medicines.

President Nicolas Maduro has accused private food production companies and supermarkets of hoarding food for speculation. Mr. Torres said the government had purchased 115,000 tons of basic goods including rice, sugar, maize and beans.