VENEZUELAN trade unionists yesterday rubbished claims by food giant Polar that the country was short of maize.

Polar, also Venezuela’s largest brewer, stopped production of PAN cornflour at three of its mills in Cumana, Chivacoa and Turmero, saying that there was a shortage of grain.

But United Polar Food Workers Union (Sutap) leader Henry Ascanio told daily newspaper Ciudad CCS that maize was pouring into the Turmero plant where he works “night and day.”

The United Socialist Party government has accused Polar and other firms of engineering food shortages that rightwingers have built on to call for its overthrow.

Cornflour is used to make arepas, the tortilla-like cakes that are the staple of the Venezuelan diet.

Mr Ascanio said workers’ suspicions had been raised when they discovered Polar bosses were in discussion with suppliers, following which “for November and December it’s full of maize.”

“On the loading bays where the lorries are, they are receiving plenty of maize day and night,” he insisted.

Mr Ascanio said the only alleged reason given for the shutdown was that “the national white maize harvest is insufficient, every day there is less white maize for the production of pre-boiled flour.

“The ones who suffer from this stoppage are the Venezuelan people.”Meanwhile Vice-President Aristobulo Isturiz accused Polar of colluding in a foreign-directed economic war on Venezuela.

He said the firm “does not support the strengthening of the local supply and production committees” — a government initiative to bypass black-marketeers and ease the shortages.

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