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Vice Blog

TORTILLA CRISIS

Mexicans believe God created man from maize, so no wonder tortillas are regarded as the divine food. Everyone, from the poorest peasants to the rich white elite, eats an average of nine a day. Take tortillas away from the people and you fan the flames of revolution. The price of tortillas has risen by 60 per cent in the last month and the Mexicans are majorly miffed.

The President blames the US for the tortilla inflation, but the Mexican state has previously enacted polices that preferred the importing of corn from the US rather than growing it in Mexico. Tortilla trade unions have attacked the government and big business for hiding 150,000 tonnes of corn so that they could speculate with the prices. President Felipe Calderon will have to find some maize from somewhere or rival Lopez Obrador will eat him for breakfast at the next elections.

Photo by David De la Paz.