THE SOCIALIST STATE: Venezuela malls scale back hours as government cuts energy

The Death Spiral continues for Venezuela.  When are the people going to say they've had enough of the control?

Shops in malls across Venezuela closed their doors Wednesday afternoon to comply with a government electricity rationing order.

Venezuela's socialist government is asking more than 100 malls to close or generate their own power four hours each day, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Dozens of mall workers and would-be shoppers waited out the closure at a shopping center in upscale Caracas Wednesday. They complained about the new policy, which comes amid a general economic breakdown that has led to chronic shortages and triple-digit inflation.