The president of Empresas Polar, Lorenzo Mendoza, criticized the fact that in the precooked corn flour market, in his opinion, there are those who produce with privileges and "who do not work with their capital," which is the competition for Pan flour.
In a recent interview, Mendoza said that he "likes" that there is competition, but complained that other companies producers of precooked corn flour have "advantages" and considered that "that is not right."
"There are many people who have privileges and advantages, who do not work with their capital and that is not fair. What is fair is to work with everyone's ideas, with everyone's talent and to comply with the laws for everyone equally," he said.
Mendoza said they felt "very confident" about what they have and called for "fair competition" in this market so that the population can choose the product of their preference.
In recent years, the Venezuelan market for precooked flour has grown and there are currently more than 50 brands of this quality product throughout the country.
Harina PAN stopped setting the standard in this area because new corn flour companies entered the market to compete.
Recently, the Leander Corn Processing Plant, in Socopó, Barinas, received the Norven seal as a quality mark. The emergence of this and other brands in the country is part of the policy of the Government of President Nicolás Maduro to increase national production through economic circuits in the territory.
The president has stated that the objective is to support producers in order to advance in the production of the highest quality.
Lorenzo Mendoza complains that there are some corn flour manufacturers who have “privileges and advantages” and who “do not work with their capital.” The height of cynicism from someone who had an almost absolute monopoly on corn flour in Venezuela for over 50 years. pic.twitter.com/BQhYbxIJVX
- Luigino Bracci Roa (@lubrio) December 18, 2024
That is true, the monopoly now has competition from Mary products, which are good, especially the flour.
Lorenzo
From 2017 to 2020, you did dumping, you took PAN flour to other countries and since you had the monopoly on the production of precooked flour (and beer) you depleted the national market, you dollarized the price of flour, you hid it, you hoarded it, you put it out of the reach of the vast majority. And while the Venezuelan people made arepas by grinding corn, peas, rice, pumpkin, yuca, yams, in an act of inconceivable cruelty, your promoters gave away PAN flour in Times Square. You didn't care about the hunger of your people and that was your grain of flour to support Juan Guaido and overthrow Maduro and it turns out that you shot yourself in the foot because the Government that you underestimated stimulated competition, a true Waterloo of monopolistic capital like yours and now you don't give away flour in New York, but in the middle of Christmas you give it away in supermarkets because few buy PAN flour even if you put it in a pretty bag. You lost your monopoly on Flour and Beer because whoever betrays his people dries up and now you're asking for Cocoa? No, and that the arepas were Colombian. That's how I wanted to see you, Lorenzo Mendoza.
Competition is the best weapon against the Polar monopoly. In 2015-2016 they made us hoard, causing shortages, and in 2024-2025 they are being charged.
Surely you have made that monopoly with your own money, you know, the executioner does not ask for a truce, you have abused enough with your monopoly on flour, what's more, you don't remember when you started hiding the products to get out of the government and you know or you forgot, with money from Venezuelans, men and women, you made us suffer so much, so the executioner does not ask for mercy.
I believe that Lorenzo Mendoza had his privileges, but having conspired against the Government and the People, now they are charging him.
Nobody in Venezuela, in those times of economic and social crisis, received as much $$$$ as this man.
COMPETE WITH LOYALTY, LOWER PRICES, AND YOUR FLOUR WILL BE MORE COMPETITIVE!
The poor can't get ahead, that's the type. With beer it's the same
That man is shameless when he says that, I remember in the 80s when my father had a business and the flour came out on the market, the struggle when the polar supplier saw that product on the supermarket shelves, he said to my father, Mr. Montilla, if you sell that flour, we will no longer sell you bread flour, so that means freedom of trade, Mendoza, you are screwed, now there is competition and Mari flour came out, the best, he doesn't have it, I wouldn't change it for anything hahaha
Hahahaha, the one who claims that free competition is healthy? Of course, when you have a monopoly on the market! Besides, that guy doesn't produce. He only processes food. That his products are quality, it's true, but... his investment, most of it is imported and processed here. The investment has to and should be in this beautiful land and not outside our borders.
How shameless: “So there are many who have privileges and advantages, who do not work with their capital and that is not fair…”
The Venezuelan State has given them over the last 60 years what they have asked for and a large part of that “Capital” is in foreign banks. And he talks about privileges, when his family belongs to the 1% who have taken advantage not only of the country’s wealth, but also of their political influence so that the country’s legislation favors them…
The Mendozas have been practicing monopoly in the Venezuelan market for years.
This practice is illegal throughout the world.
Why don't you talk about it?
Let us also remember that it still has a monopoly on beer at the national level.