In Venezuela, newspapers have made the decision of cancelling all printing due to a paper shortage caused by the low access of foreign currency in the country, reported Univisión.
According to El País, newspaper companies have stated that they are not able to acquire paper for their printing. The paper shortage has forced the closure of some of the most influential newspapers in the country, including El Estado of Monagas, El Sol of Maturín and El Antorcha of Anzoátegui. Similarly, the printing of La Hora and El Caribazo in Nueva Esparta has also been cancelled.
Univisión reported that in 2003 Venezuelan authorities imposed a law that forced companies and individuals to make their foreign currency transactions in the offices of the Venezuelan government. Bureaucratic procedures to allow access of foreign currencies into Venezuela therefor got more complicated. In 2012, the issue caused some supply problems in products like toilet paper, powdered milk and currently newspaper paper.
El País reported that the spokesman of the Regional Press Bloc, Rogelio Díaz, said that the press does not have access to foreign currency greater than what the government has, adding, "We'll have everything ready for the celebrations in December, gifts, hallacas (typical stuffed Christmas tamales), whisky, but we won't have newspapers."
According to President Nicolás Maduro, the shortages have been caused by an "economic war," which is preventing the state from carrying out the actions to face the problems the Venezuelan press is going through.
The Spanish newspaper reported that the employment of about 6,000 families is at risk. It added that the lack of paper would also cause the disappearance of the entire industry and would leave society without an independent media.