Venezuelans spend life on the line amid economic crisis

An 80-year-old woman was crushed to death when an orderly line of shoppers suddenly turned into a mob of looters — an increasingly common occurrence as Venezuela runs out of just about everything.

Venezuela’s vast oil wealth once fueled a bustling economy.

[...] years of mismanagement under a socialist government disrupted much of the nation’s production, and a steep drop in the price of oil left the country unable to pay to import basic necessities.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, the lines outside immigration offices spill down the street, as if people suddenly decided over the weekend that they could not handle one more week standing around while life passes them by.

When the supply trucks arrive, workers throw open the doors, game-show style, to reveal whether shoppers will be taking home precious pantry staples, or a booby prize like dog food.

Soldiers with tear gas and rifles increasingly stand guard over supermarkets to maintain order.

[...] the state security forces killed three people in June while trying to control nationwide food riots.

A few blocks away from where Perez died in the toothpaste line, shoppers waiting to buy groceries watched a mob set fire to an accused thief.