Venezuelan military invades an electronics store


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The Venezuelan government really doesn't want you to overpay for that new HDTV.

In fact, the South American country's forces have "occupied" that nation's equivalent of Best Buy in order to force the electronics chain to charge "fair" prices.

According to the Global Post, Venezeula's socialist leader, President Nicolas Maduro, ordered the military operation against the "Daka" chain of stores.

"This is for the good of the nation," Maduro said. "Leave nothing on the shelves, nothing in the warehouses … Let nothing remain in stock!"

Over the weekend, thousands of discount-seeking Venezuelans lined up outside the chain's stores looking for cut-rate prices on appliances, TVs and other electronics.

Images shared online showed what appeared to be emptied-out stores, possibly the result of looting.

Maduro made the order just weeks before important elections and with his popularity waning among voters.

Venezuela's economy is in a freefall with annual inflation at more than 54 percent and consumers facing extreme shortages of necessities such as toilet paper and cooking oil.

Maduro came to power this April after the death of long-time leader Hugo Chavez.