Venezuela, despite being home to significant global oil reserves, continues to grapple with fuel shortages.
In response, the state of Mérida, led by Jehyson Guzmán from Nicolás Maduro’s PSUV party, has initiated a unique lottery system for citizens to refuel their vehicles.
The system, broadcast on local radio, involves drawing numbered balls between 0 and 9 to assign specific gas stations to vehicles based on the last digits of their license plates.
Lottery results are also shared on Instagram.
Following the draw, citizens rush to these assigned stations, which typically operate until early afternoon and remain closed on Sundays.
A report by Diario Las Américas noted severe fuel shortages in states including Zulia, Falcón, Bolívar, Portuguesa, Monagas, Trujillo, Mérida, Lara, Apure, Aragua, and Carabobo, with El Nacional newspaper highlighting long waiting times in Greater Caracas.
While the government downplays the crisis, blaming it on consumers, analysts attribute it to mismanagement at state-owned PDVSA, lack of investment, and corruption.
In 2020, the Venezuelan Chamber of Petroleum reported an 80% reduction in the country’s refining capacity since 1999.
This ongoing issue has forced Venezuela to import from Iran and Algeria.
Experts argue this gasoline crisis mirrors the broader collapse of the country’s oil industry over the past 24 years, significantly impacting once-bustling refineries like Cardón, Amiay, El Palito, and Puerto La Cruz due to mismanagement and corruption.