Sign outside Coromoto ice cream shop in Venezuela reads: "Dear tourists and general clients, we apologize of being unable to serve you due to the lack of milk.” (Facebook)
An ice cream shop famous for its 863 different flavors – and a spot in the Guinness World Records book – has fallen victim to Venezuela’s economic crisis.
On its Facebook page, the famous Coromoto ice cream shop in the highland town of Merida, Venezuela, announced it was closing because of a shortage of its key ingredient.
“We are closed during the high season due to a shortage of milk,” the shop posted.
A sign on the door asked customers for forgiveness for being “unable to serve you due to the lack of milk.”
Locals confirmed that the shop has been closed since Christmas Eve, Reuters reported.
The ice cream shop is hugely popular among tourists for its exotic flavors ranging from beer to beans.
Venezuelans have been suffering from shortages of basic goods, from toilet paper to spare tires due to an economic shutdown, high inflation and strict currency controls.
In September, El Impulso, the country’s oldest newspaper was force to stop production because of falling advertising, mounting inflation and a lack of basic materials.
President Nicolas Maduro’s administration blames shortages on black-market vendors who buy groceries at government-regulated prices and illegally resell them for high profits and on an "economic war" it says is being waged by hostile, speculating companies. Critics say the problems are the result of excessive government intervention in the economy and smuggling that is tacitly endorsed by security forces.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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