The recent controversy surrounding the proposals of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has sparked intense debate after being compared to the nationalist policies of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and Fidel Castro in Cuba. Sara Eisen, a CNBC journalist, posted on X on July 1 at 02:25 UTC: “Everything Mr. Mamdani is suggesting was already done by Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and Fidel Castro in Cuba. Both nationalized their food-distribution systems in the name of ‘equity’ and ‘access.’ What followed was poverty, rationing and hunger. Grocery-store shelves were stripped bare. Citizens stood in lines for hours to get a loaf of bread or a bag of rice—if there was any food left at all.” The comment, attributed to a New York grocery chain owner, @JCats2013, has fueled criticism of Mamdani’s ideas.
The historical parallel Eisen highlights focuses on the nationalization of food distribution systems, a measure Chávez implemented in Venezuela starting in 2009 as part of his socialist turn. According to her analysis, this policy led to economic collapse, with runaway inflation and widespread scarcity, a pattern also observed in Castro’s Cuba post-Revolution. Eisen’s post suggests that Mamdani’s proposals, which include city-owned grocery stores, could repeat these mistakes, igniting a debate about the feasibility of such initiatives in a modern context like New York.
Reactions on X have been varied but largely critical. Kentucky, for instance, wrote: “@SaraEisen @BillAckman Nationalizing food under Chávez collapsed Venezuela’s supply chains, triggered 10,000% inflation, and created the world’s largest peacetime refugee crisis. Mamdani’s plan is déjà vu with hashtags.” This comment reinforces the notion that nationalization policies, as proposed by Mamdani, could lead to devastating consequences similar to those seen in Latin America. The mention of inflation and the refugee crisis underscores the economic and social risks.
Another user, Elizabeth Walker, added: “@SaraEisen @BillAckman Every one of these utopian planners forgets: distribution only matters if you have something to distribute. You can’t ration access to nothing. Venezuela learned that the hard way.” Her perspective highlights a fundamental flaw in the logic of these policies: without a solid productive base, nationalizing distribution does not address scarcity issues, a point directly tied to the experiences of Chávez and Castro. This argument has gained traction among those who view Mamdani’s ideas as idealistic yet unworkable.
The historical context supports these concerns. In Venezuela, Chávez’s nationalization of the food industry included the expropriation of companies like Cargill, which, according to Reuters reports, worsened inflation and oil dependency, leaving shelves empty. In Cuba, the state distribution system implemented by Castro relied heavily on Soviet subsidies, collapsing after the USSR’s fall. These historical precedents are frequently cited on X as warnings against Mamdani’s proposals, suggesting that history might repeat itself if lessons from the past are ignored.
As of 06:22 AM AST on July 1, 2025, the debate continues to intensify. Critics of Mamdani argue that his plan for state-owned stores overlooks the structural failures that sank Venezuela and Cuba, while his supporters insist that New York’s current conditions are different. However, the comparison to Chávez and Castro has placed the sustainability of his ideas under scrutiny, with economic analysts warning of the dangers of a centralized economy. As discussions progress, the echo of past failed policies resonates as a somber reminder of what might be at stake.
Source:
- https://x.com/SaraEisen/status/1939872951324787088