The deaths of several Venezuelan children with leukemia who were waiting for bone marrow transplants have ignited a bitter dispute between the government and opponents over who is to blame. (Fernando Llano/Associated Press)CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s government has made a rare acknowledgement of the severity of the country’s economic crisis by publishing the first economic data in nearly four years showing a severe contraction and soaring hyperinflation. The central bank said Tuesday that the oil-rich economy contracted 22.5% in the third quarter of 2018 from a year earlier. Opposition economists, and the International Monetary Fund, have put inflation figures even higher. Maduro’s government has not commented on the data, which was published quietly Tuesday on the central bank’s website.

Source: Washington Post May 29, 2019 03:56 UTC