The situation of service stations in Venezuela is worrying, especially for the inhabitants of the state of Merida (west). Indeed, the shortage of gasoline is increasingly felt in this region, so much so that the establishment of a lotto has been introduced to overcome the endless queues. The state governor has ruled that only cars with registration endings in the number 5 or 6 can refuel at associated gas stations. This decision was made to avoid the tensions caused by the endless queues.
Still, Venezuela is an oil producer, but refining and distribution problems have exacerbated the situation. Additionally, rates have been dollarized to 50 cents per liter in 2020, but subsidized fuel stations are still busy despite the low price. This also promotes the black market and smuggling to neighboring countries such as Brazil or Colombia, thus contributing to the worsening of the shortage.
But this decision is not to everyone’s taste, because some people find themselves waiting for several days to receive little gasoline in turn. Moreover, another locality, the state of Portuguesa (west), had already introduced a similar method to allocate quotas to service stations during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Technical problems at the country’s main refineries have also contributed to the current situation. Alerted, the oil sector has already taken measures to remedy the situation.
In short, the situation in Venezuela is alarming, and the inhabitants of this region must be patient to access a commonplace and essential resource for their daily life.