Socialism Fails Again: Venezuelan Hospitals Keep Babies in Cardboard Boxes

The health care crisis in Venezuela has reached a shocking new low. Mesa de la Unidad Democratica, a political party in opposition to the socialist regime currently in power, released photos online showing newborn babies being kept in cardboard boxes, due to a lack of incubators:

The caption reads,

“So the world knows: In our neonatal units at the Dr Domingo Guzman Lander hospital they are being kept in cardboard boxes due to a lack of incubators. 20 Sept”

The images are now being investigated, with Venezuelan Social Security Institute President Carlos Rotondaro responding to the allegations with images of incubators in a hospital.

Venezuelan hospitals are already under crisis, with power shortages and failed generators have left doctors unable to save dying patients, including babies.

Hugo Chavez was elected president in 1998, and quickly put into place a  dictatorial socialist regime which has crippled the formerly oil rich country, leading to massive protests across the nation.

Chavez hand-picked current president Nicolas Maduro to be his successor, and protesters have called for him to be ousted. People cannot get basic necessities, like food, toilet paper, and diapers. Starving people are resorting to digging through garbage to find food, or breaking into zoos to kill the animals.

Women are resorting to sterilization rather than risk another pregnancy, when the children they have are starving and getting sunburnt from standing all day in the sun to get food. Violence is widespread, particularly in Caracas, which has the highest murder rate in the world.

While oil exports previously made Venezuela one of the wealthiest countries in the world, oil production has slowed so much, they are now forced to import oil from the United States. Venezuela’s inflation rate is also the highest in the world.

Despite the issues plaguing Venezuela, and other socialist countries around the world, young Americans view socialism more favorably than ever before. They view socialism as the most “compassionate” system, even though the reality of socialism is not compassionate at all. It’s an ideology that leaves people powerless, hungry, and in danger.