Line of cars in a Venezuelan gas station. Photo by Jesus Abinazar / Primicia.
This Saturday, January 15, during his annual address to the nation, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro demanded that the appropriate authorities put an end to the mafias that exert influence over the distribution of fuel.
From the National Assembly headquarters, the Venezuelan president asked for support from the attorney general of the republic to enact justice and put an end to corruption in the domestic fuel market.
“This is shameful and has to end,” President Maduro said, “the mafia management of the sale and distribution of fuel in this country. Enough of these nauseating mafias. We must unmask them, and remove their disguise. Enough is enough, I want exemplary, definitive results.”
#EnVivo 📹| "La proliferación de mafias que controlan la distribución de gasolina es vergonzosa y se tiene que acabar", aseveró el jefe de Estado @NicolasMaduro al exigir la regularización de la distribución del combustible en el país. pic.twitter.com/CZFtTDobjm
— Prensa Presidencial (@PresidencialVen) January 16, 2022
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Likewise, the president requested that the minister of national industries and president of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), Tareck El Aissami, work to put an end to the gasoline distribution mafias.
For years, Venezuelan citizens have faced gasoline-supply issues at the local level. When gas prices fell extremely low in early 2012, a contraband network was greatly expanded, exporting Venezuelan gasoline to bordering countries, particularly Colombia. With the strengthening of the US and EU economic blockade of Venezuela, and particularly of the national petroleum industry, fuel scarcity has become one of the largest problems Venezuelans have had to endure.
President Maduro pointed out that a primary challenge for the new year is to guarantee the quality and stability of public services, through a joint effort between the national executive, governors, mayors, and the citizenry.
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The president recalled that an electrical war has been perpetrated against the country, employed as a weapon to affect other services, such as water. In this regard, he repudiated the flaws in public services and the ineffectiveness of some bureaucrats faced with these problems.
This president’s statements were made in the context of recent attacks on the Oriente pipeline, which caused a powerful explosion that left one person dead and two injured. The Poliducto de Oriente [Pipeline of the East] is responsible for distributing fuel to the east of the country.
Featured image: Line of cars in a Venezuelan gas station. Photo by Jesus Abinazar/Primicia.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
