The dire economic situation has forced Venezuelan women to sell their hair

The bankrupt economy of Venezuela has led women in the country to resort to selling their hair. According to Reuters, Venezuelan women are crossing the border in groups to Colombia, where they sell their hair in a border city and use the money to buy basic necessities such as food, baby diapers, and medicine. This trend, which has intensified in recent weeks, is another sign of the severe economic problems in the country. The economic crisis and extremely high inflation have made it difficult for people to afford food and medicine. Reuters reports that a group of intermediaries stands on the bridge connecting the city of San Antonio, Venezuela, to Colombia, shouting 'We buy hair.' Nearly two hundred women cross this bridge daily and entrust their hair to barbers in temporary booths set up on the other side of the border. The hair is sent to a city in western Colombia for wig production. As the country enters its third year of economic crisis, the supply of government-subsidized food has decreased, and food lines have grown longer. For ordinary people, it is nearly impossible to obtain food other than government rations. The price of a bag of rice is ten times the monthly income of a family. In recent months, hundreds have traveled to border towns in Colombia to buy groceries. Selina Gonzalez, a forty-five-year-old street vendor, sold her hair for twenty dollars. This amount is enough to cover a month's expenses and food coupons in her city. She says, 'I have arthritis and need to buy medicine. This amount is not much, but at least I can buy painkillers for my pain.' Selina's family was unaware of her actions. The leftist government of the country blames intermediaries and brokers for the economic problems, claiming they have waged an economic war against the country.