Venezuelan Government: Eat These Bunnies

[ARTCHAOS 1,687]

Freddy Bernal, Venezuela's minister for urban agriculture, visiting a rabbit farm

 

Nicolas Maduro has revealed a plan to combat Venezuela's food crisis by encouraging people to breed rabbits for meat, but acknowledged a "setback" when participants in a pilot project adopted the bunnies as pets.

Unveiling "Plan Rabbit", the Venezuelan president described it as an "extremely good" initiative to provide an alternative source of animal protein, "because rabbits breed like... rabbits."

The scheme - designed to resist the "economic war" Maduro says is being waged by the "empire" - had however suffered teething difficulties.

The minister for urban agriculture, Freddy Bernal, had handed out baby rabbits to 15 communities as part of a trial, Mr Maduro recounted to much laughter from assembled ministers. 

"When he returned, surprise! The people had the bunnies with little bows and they were keeping them as pets," he said.

Bernal blamed a "cultural problem," explaining to Tuesday's cabinet meeting: "A lot of people give names to rabbits, put on a bow, they take it to their house, they take the rabbit to sleep in their bed."

But, he insisted, Venezuelans must adjust their attitudes towards rabbits and see them "from the point of view of the economic war".

Outlining his plan to reposition the rabbit's image, Bernal said "we need a publicity campaign on radio, TV, in newspapers, in cartoons, everywhere, so that the people understand that rabbits aren't pets but two and a half kilos of meat".

Venezuelans "have been induced to eat what interests the Empire" but needed to change their patterns of consumption, Mr Bernal said, adding that goats could also be a useful alternative to cows, while pigeon peas could be substituted for animal grain.

Henrique Capriles, an opposition leader, branded the announcement "a bad joke". "You are those responsible for this food crisis; if you can't solve this problem then go once and for all."

Lands expropriated by the government were today in disuse, Capriles insisted, while the businesses it had seized had gone bankrupt. "Do you think the Venezuelans are stupid? We are not," he said.

Venezuela's food crisis has caused record levels of child malnutrition and reduced many to rifling through rubbish bins in search of something to eat. A survey earlier this year indicated that 75 per cent of Venezuelans have lost an average of 19lb as the country plunges into economic collapse.

Millions have left Venezuela in search of a living, many of them into neighbouring Colombia. Not even government forces have been exempt: in August, a group of Venezuelan soldiers reportedly crossed the border into Guyana and robbed an indigenous community of food. Zoo animals have been stolen and slaughtered for meat.

Maduro blames the economic crisis on opposition "sabotage" and imperial aggression. But analysts largely attribute it to a chaotic system of currency controls which has led to rampant inflation - currently around 700 percent - and shortages of the imports on which the country so heavily relies. State price caps have also forced many producers to close.

 

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/14/put-bows-venezuelan-plan-encourage-rabbit-eating-amid-food-shortages/

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This notice is old, from early september, but I wanted to highlight the things that happens in this country, sounds like an fictional novel but is raw reality. Sorry if this bring negativity to the site.

[babs 5,093]

15 minutes ago, Rafr88 said:

Unveiling "Plan Rabbit", the Venezuelan president described it as an "extremely good" initiative to provide an alternative source of animal protein, "because rabbits breed like... rabbits."

The worst part about this is that rabbit meat, yes it is good if you wanna maximize protein intake, but it so lean that its nutritional values are pretty much blunt. Surviving on rabbit meat will lead people to even more health issues than the ones they have now.

This is so disgusting.

[Babel 41,643]

If you ever thought Trump was the most stupid president on the planet, think again.

[ARTCHAOS 1,687]

5 minutes ago, babs said:

The worst part about this is that rabbit meat, yes it is good if you wanna maximize protein intake, but it so lean that its nutritional values are pretty much blunt. Surviving on rabbit meat will lead people to even more health issues than the ones they have now.

This is so disgusting.

I think the worst part is the "cultural problem" part, like if there was an actual problem of the society that is not eating the bunnies that they give this people has no soul

[Morphine Prince 109,926]

And to think Venezuela was a booming country decades ago. 

 

[ShockPop 7,747]

Rabbit is delicious! Yum.

They'd be better off breeding rabbits to feed to pigs and breed those then feed them to humans. Far better nutritional value.

[Seeka 12,372]

@Rafr88

I know this story is both tragic and funny, but do you know what magical realism is?

[ARTCHAOS 1,687]

12 minutes ago, Seeka said:

@Rafr88

I know this story is both tragic and funny, but do you know what magical realism is?

Drag me if you want, i already had too much today

jk, i know is not like the accurate genre but I wanted to say that it sounds like something fictional

 

p.s.: they make the dead speak tho

[Seeka 12,372]

4 minutes ago, Rafr88 said:

Drag me if you want, i already had too much today

jk, i know is not like the accurate genre but I wanted to say that it sounds like something fictional

Lols then say it sounds fictional. Saying it sounds like a genre is just going to muddle things.

Journalism is meant to be clear with little bias.

[Dam Ien 111]

Where I live we have an urban legend that says if you eat rabbit meat you can sleep with open eyes. 

[Economy 53,076]

1 hour ago, babs said:

The worst part about this is that rabbit meat, yes it is good if you wanna maximize protein intake, but it so lean that its nutritional values are pretty much blunt. Surviving on rabbit meat will lead people to even more health issues than the ones they have now.

This is so disgusting.

Isnt "disgusting" a bit of a reach?  

 

Also ppl are not eating enough... average Venezuelan lost 23 pounds in last year...

 

So its not replacing food for most of the population but more like adding

 

My aunt in Portugal grows Rabbits. I tell u it doesnt take much resources to grow them... so growing these doesnt have to take away from what they are already eating

[Economy 53,076]

1 hour ago, Triggered said:

If you ever thought Trump was the most stupid president on the planet, think again.

As if Trump wouldnt come up with a simmilar idea  

 

I dont think this is a bad idea in itself tho. Its just not gonna make as bug a difference as hes making it sound like

[babs 5,093]

2 hours ago, Economy said:

Isnt "disgusting" a bit of a reach?  

 

Also ppl are not eating enough... average Venezuelan lost 23 pounds in last year...

 

So its not replacing food for most of the population but more like adding

 

My aunt in Portugal grows Rabbits. I tell u it doesnt take much resources to grow them... so growing these doesnt have to take away from what they are already eating

I meant disgusting referring to their behavior, not the eating rabbits thing. 

And I would know about losing weight, I was living there until some months ago eating just once a day sometimes. My mother's first reaction after almost a year without seeing me was "you're so skinny!!!!"

I'm not saying it's not feasible, I'm saying it's not a solution. People are already having a hard time keeping their health in check, proposing a lean meat diet is just fooling a country that has already been through enough.