Yes, don't worry; no debate here either! The great thing about CB is that we can all add a snippet of information here, and a snippet there, and all of a sudden we're a bit more knowledgeable about something we (possibly) take for granted.
That's absolutely correct. It's a shame we don't export, because Venezuelan coffee is very good. We've got very similar terrains to Colombia and the quality of the coffee is exceptional...BUT
Back in the 70s, when Venezuelan coffee exports might just have got off the ground, the government at the time decided that they needed to develop a bureaucracy to maintain coffee standards; so they created Foncafé (the National Coffee Foundation). Foncafé purchased all the national production of coffee beans and then distributed them as they saw fit. Disaster, of course, because then you have to deal with nepotism, favouritism, politics and, of course, kickbacks. Still, the coffee we drink here is excellent, unlike Colombia. Their coffee is not good because they export all the good stuff!
