Desperate Venezuelans are forced to eat rotten meat for two terrible reasons

Conditions in the socialist country of Venezuela are so bad that people are resorting to eating rotten meat. It's a result of blistering inflation, and rolling blackouts.

'The food of the poor is rotten food.'

The meat in many butcher shops has become rotten after refrigerators shut down because of rolling blackouts in the Latin American nation.

Another reason for the rotten meat is that runaway inflation has made the currency nearly worthless. Venezuelans are unable to buy fresh meat, and have to settle for eating rotten meat.

"Of course, they eat the meat — thanks to Maduro," said butcher Johel Prieto. "The food of the poor is rotten food."

Prieto told The Associated Press that he ground up a rotten side of beef and mixed it with fresh meat in order to mask the spoilage.

Another man described being forced to prepare spoiled chicken to feed his children.

"I was afraid that they would get sick because they are small," he said. "But only the little one got diarrhea and threw up."

Maduro: 'I want the country to recover ...Trust me.'

The Venezuelan government has tried to slow its inflation woes by demonetizing the money, the Bolivar, and increasing taxes. According to the International Monetary Fund, inflation could climb to a staggering 1 million percent by year's end.

The socialist government has also revoked a benefit it was offering the people of lower prices on gasoline, unless they register for a state "fatherland" identification card.

“I want the country to recover and I have the formula. Trust me,” said Maduro in a televised address to the country.

Here's the video report from the Associated Press: