Bachaqueros. Un Trabajo del Mercado Negro Venezolano

Abstract

In Venezuela, within the informal sector, a new labor phenomenon is categorized as a socioeconomic practice of illegal characteristics that goes against the “Ley de Precios Justos” (Fair Prices Law), called "bachaqueo". This activity is characterized by the resale of basic products at prices that exceed up to 100 times, or more, their official value. This research carried out a review of news and scientific literature related to the phenomenon of "bachaqueo", the black market and the informal economy. The "bachaqueo", by enabling self employment, is difficult to eliminate due to the incentives created by rapid incomes, time flexibility and tax evasion. People who carry out these activities constitute a population susceptible to suffer occupational diseases due to the multiple risk factors to which they are exposed, in addition to their exclusion from the Social Security System and the lack of access to services of Occupational Security and Health. Based on previous experiences, added to increased scarcity of regulated products in the Venezuelan market, we estimate that the strength of this fenomenon called “bachaqueo” might tend to decrease.