CARACAS, Venezuela - First milk, butter, coffee and cornmeal ran short. Now Venezuela is running out of the most basic of necessities — toilet paper. Blaming political opponents for the shortfall, as it does for other shortages, the embattled socialist government says it will import 50 million rolls to boost supplies. That was little comfort to consumers struggling to find toilet paper on Wednesday. "This is the last straw," said Manuel Fagundes, a shopper hunting for tissue in downtown Caracas. "I'm 71 years old and this is the first time I've seen this."

Caracas, May 14 (EFE).- Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao on Tuesday asked the Venezuelan government for efficiency in managing an agro-industrial plant it has begun building near Caracas with a $52 million investment from Beijing. "We have to take care that these projects are effective and efficient, in the sense that they can play a positive role in employment and economic and social effects," Li told Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua while touring the site. "I hope the efficiency factor will be taken into consideration."

US embassy officials in Venezuela have been able to visit an American documentary filmmaker jailed last month on accusations of espionage, a State Department spokesman said Friday. "I can confirm we have been provided consular access and are providing appropriate consular assistance," spokesman William Ostick told AFP in an email. "Because of privacy considerations, we are unable to comment further at this time."

By Steve Holland SAN JOSE (Reuters) - The Venezuelan government's suggestion that an American citizen it has detained is a spy is "ridiculous," U.S. President Barack Obama said in a television interview recorded on Saturday during a visit to Costa Rica. Venezuela said late last month it had detained an American called Timothy Hallet Tracy, accusing him of financing opposition student demonstrations after April's disputed presidential election and saying he had clearly been trained as an intelligence agent.