Why is Venezuela Bans Coke Zero by President Hugo Chavez?”
The government, led by Hugo Chavez, ordered the removal of the soft drink from stores while its ingredients are investigated. Health minister Jesus Mantilla said: “The product should be withdrawn from circulation to preserve the health of Venezuelans.” He did not specify which ingredients were causing concern or what health risks they posed.
This excerpt from the Wall Street Journal outlines Venezuela’s decision to ban Coke Zero, but the official explanation sounds unproven and fishy. I think the country may just be trying to go after Coke the company: In the latest bit of strife between Coca-Cola Co. and Venezuela, the government banned the sale of Coke Zero, a diet soft drink introduced in the country in April. Jesus Mantilla, Venezuela’s health minister, said Wednesday evening that after government officials inspected Coca-Cola’s operations they concluded that Coke Zero could pose health risks to consumers. While agreeing to suspend production of the soft drink and to withdraw the beverages from its retail network, the Venezuelan subsidiary of Coca-Cola said in a prepared statement that the drink “doesn’t have any components that can be harmful to people’s health” The government’s concern over Coke Zero stems from a component in the no-calorie drink, said Rosy Alvarez, a spokeswoman for the Coke subsidiary. “We were not
