Caracas, Nov 21 (EFE) .- The Venezuelan government intervened the wholesale chain Makro, one of the largest in the world and has 37 stores in the country, for allegedly conditioning the sale of essential products, generally scarce in the oil nation.

"At this moment we have an intervention in the distribution network Makro (...) that company It conditions the sale (to the users), "the National Superintendent for the Defense of the Socio-Economic Rights (Sundde) of Venezuela, William, told the VTV state channel today. Contreras.

He explained that the measure was taken to meet "a general claim of society", he said, has repeatedly denounced restrictions on access to food in these establishments, which sell mainly wholesale and small distributors.

Contreras said that in the company were demanding from customers "minimum purchases" of up to 5 million of bolivars (about 1,500 dollars according to the highest official exchange rate) to be able to access bales of pre-cooked corn flour, one of the scarcest and most demanded products in the country.

He noted that similar practices were registered in several branches with items such as pasta and rice.

"Hopefully it is not a policy of this company, I think it is a boycott ", said the official after indicating that the Sundde asked the Public Ministry to investigate this company to determine responsibilities.

According to calculations of the opposition, the chavismo that governs Venezuela since 1999 has intervened hundreds of companies from various sectors, mainly food.

The shortage of food and medicines has worsened in recent years months in the Caribbean country when its economy entered a hyperinflationary spiral, and while the Government of Nicolás Maduro seeks to restructure the external debt, although already several entities have declared it in suspension of payments.