Venezuelans Spend Christmas Amid Fuel, Food Shortage

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, December 26, 2002

Venezuelans Spend Christmas Amid Fuel, Food Shortage

Venezuelans spent their Christmas Wednesday amid a fuel and food shortage triggered by the four-week-long nationwide general strike staged by the opposition.

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Venezuelans spent their Christmas Wednesday amid a fuel and food shortage triggered by the four-week-long nationwide general strike staged by the opposition.

As the strike crippled the oil industry, pillar of the country's economy, the oil output sank to a level of less than 15 percent of the normal with daily production plummeting to below 200,000 barrels from November's 3.1 million barrels.

The strike has reduced Venezuela from the world's fifth biggestoil exporter to a leading oil consumer. Car drivers in the countryare waking up to the incredible reality of the national gas shortage.

Long lines are seen at gas stations around the country as nervous motorists rush to fill up their gas tanks. Many pumps haverun dry while others are besieged by desperate Venezuelans.

The shutdown has also weighed on basic food supply. About 92 percent of food companies around the country suspended activities.Lack of fuel has significantly cut the transportation of food. Food supplies in some cities have reached a critical stage.

To ease the food shortage, the government of President Hugo Chavez has taken measures to help food companies resume production.

The state-run news organization Venpres quoted Ramon Rosales, minister of Production and Trade, as saying that food companies instates of Carabobo, Aragua, Lara, Guarico and Portuguesa had beganoperation.

Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic Coordination said in a communique that there would be no Christmas truce and vowed to press ahead with the strike until Chavez agrees to hold an early referendum on his rule.

The Democratic Coordination admitted that the fuel and food scarcity "could lead us to a delicate situation."

"Year 2002 will undoubtedly have no Christmas and year 2003 will be a one of freedom," it said.

The opposition has blamed Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and whose presidential term expires in 2007, for plunging the country into the worst recession in more than a decade.

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