Spare_change
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- Jun 27, 2011
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Caracas, Venezuela (CNN)Venezuelan officials have confiscated nearly 5 million toys from a toy distributor, accusing the company of planning to sell them at inflated prices during the Christmas season.
Critics say the consumer protection agency, which targeted the toy warehouse this week, has become "the Grinch that stole Christmas" because many families won't be able to buy the confiscated toys for the holiday.
Agency head William Contreras disputed that, saying executives at toy distributor Kreisel-Venezuela, the largest of its kind in the country, "don't care about our children's right to have a merry Christmas."
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is being called a Grinch after the government confiscated millions of toys over alleged price gouging.
He told reporters, "They say we're stealing the toys from this company, but the company committed fraud against our country."
The government said the 4.8 million toys will now be made available to families in impoverished neighborhoods at lower-than-market prices.
'Worse than the Grinch'
According to authorities, the operation began Thursday, but law enforcement officials were still at the warehouse Saturday.
Officials also detained at least two people as part of the operation.
"Now what?," a Venezuelan woman asked on Twitter, "is (President) Nicolás Maduro the modern Grinch?"
Another Twitter user told CNN that the Venezuelan government is "worse than the Grinch."
It's not clear what effect, if any, the confiscation of the millions of toys will have on the toy market in Venezuela just two weeks before Christmas.
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Notice they didn't say where the money was going from the "lower-than-market prices" sale.
Critics say the consumer protection agency, which targeted the toy warehouse this week, has become "the Grinch that stole Christmas" because many families won't be able to buy the confiscated toys for the holiday.
Agency head William Contreras disputed that, saying executives at toy distributor Kreisel-Venezuela, the largest of its kind in the country, "don't care about our children's right to have a merry Christmas."
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is being called a Grinch after the government confiscated millions of toys over alleged price gouging.
He told reporters, "They say we're stealing the toys from this company, but the company committed fraud against our country."
The government said the 4.8 million toys will now be made available to families in impoverished neighborhoods at lower-than-market prices.
'Worse than the Grinch'
According to authorities, the operation began Thursday, but law enforcement officials were still at the warehouse Saturday.
Officials also detained at least two people as part of the operation.
"Now what?," a Venezuelan woman asked on Twitter, "is (President) Nicolás Maduro the modern Grinch?"
Another Twitter user told CNN that the Venezuelan government is "worse than the Grinch."
It's not clear what effect, if any, the confiscation of the millions of toys will have on the toy market in Venezuela just two weeks before Christmas.
------------------------------------------------
Notice they didn't say where the money was going from the "lower-than-market prices" sale.