Mexican President Peña Núñez has ordered that supermarkets open for business as temperatures plummet.
A report in La Nación newspaper says the president has ordered stores to reopen to sell produce and foodstuffs, and that many have already begun opening, although it’s not yet clear when or if it will happen.
It’s unclear what Peña has done to ensure that food and drink is available for purchase on the street.
Peña Nieto, who won a landslide victory last November, has been trying to address the problem of food shortages by limiting the number of supermarket branches and ordering foodstamp recipients to shop at their homes.
A recent report by the Federal Council of the Confederation of Manufacturers said the number and distribution of supermarkets could be disrupted by the weather and by a lack of supplies.
The council said in a report that most consumers buy their groceries at their local supermarket and that a lack in stores means that consumers often choose to shop on the internet.
A supermarket closure has a long history in Mexico, with people often returning home empty-handed and without their usual purchases.
The country’s previous president, Felipe Calderon, implemented a policy of restricting access to supermarkets to curb inflation, but it failed to reverse the trend.
The Council said Peña’s order will help the economy by encouraging consumers to shop elsewhere, especially on the Internet.
