Venezuela, once a candidate for 1st World status, has deteriorated to many citizens eating from dustbins to survive. A study found 15% of Venezuelans feed themselves exclusively with ‘food waste discarded by commercial establishments’. 75% of all Venezuelans do not eat a diet of breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. 54 % go to bed hungry, and 52% buy food through the black market. 48% took time off work to search for food. Many believe the severe food shortage is caused by Venezuela’s socialist economy. William Murray, chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, noted that when prices are allowed to rise in accordance with market forces, as in a free enterprise system, demand is reduced to a manageable level. But in Venezuela’s centrally- planned economy, the government does not allow producers to raise prices on their goods to keep up with increases in the cost of production. Therefore, producers cannot afford to produce as much as is needed, and shortages result.