Venezuelan Shortage of Milk Forces Closure of Famous Ice Cream Parlor

The famous Coromoto ice cream parlor made the news when it had to close its doors due a shortage of milk in Venezuela. Coromoto is located in Merida and is known as the most famous ice cream parlor in South America. It is listed in the Guinness World Records book for its 800+ ice cream flavors, with many exotic types such as Pernod Fils (named after a brand of absinthe that was banned in 1915). If that’s not appealing, how about sardines and brandy? To keep the selections fresh, the shop rotates flavors, generally carrying less than 100 flavors at one time.

“We are closed during the season due to shortage of milk,” the business announced on its Facebook page, shutting down on Christmas Eve.

But the ability to get ice cream is really not high on the list of staples that Venezuelans have been forced to line up for due to their country’s crumbling economy.

CNBC predicts “barbarity and looting” in Venezuela’s future: “Oil accounts for 95 percent of Venezuela’s export earnings,and combined with gas, it’s 25 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. As the price of oil hits a four-year low at $70 per barrel, the OPEC nation’s oil-dependent economy is set to implode… bringing deeper political instability and chaos to the world’s 10th-largest oil exporter.”