Gucci, Pierre Cardin, and Yves Saint Laurent. The supermarkets boast, among other items, Kraft mayonesa, Cheez Whip pimentdn, and Colgate dental crema. Affluent Venezuelans have also taken a liking to imported Scotch. In 1980, they pur- chased 1.8 million cases of the whiskey, making them the world's Number One per capita consumers. At Christmas, fir trees are flown in from Canada. Mercedes Benz sedans are a fa- miliar sight on downtown streets.
Not surprisingly, the cost of living in Caracas has...