Fuel shortages lead to long queues in Venezuela

Angry drivers queued for hours in towns across Venezuela on Friday as fuel shortages worsened in the South American nation following a plunge in gasoline imports and a stoppage at the nation’s second-largest oil refinery.

Shortages of motor fuel have become a periodic occurrence in the OPEC nation, particularly in border regions where smuggling to neighboring countries is rife, the result of generous subsidies from state-run oil company PDVSA that have made gasoline nearly free in Venezuela, Reuters reports.

“This is chaotic. Every day here is chaotic and now we have a problem with gasoline,” said Oswaldo Ruiz, as he sat in a long line of vehicles at a gas station in Puerto Ordaz. “I don’t know what will happen here but there has to be a change.”

In Caracas, however, there were few signs of widespread gasoline shortages as Maduro has prioritised services to the Venezuela capital. Industry sources said tankers were being diverted from other parts of the country to supply the city of some 6 million people, home to roughly a fifth of Venezuela’s population.

“Things are a bit complicated here, but Caracas residents have it better than in other cities,” said Franco Arase, as he sat aboard his motorbike

Via Energy Times / Reuters