The measure would be taken in some cities in the country, such as Caracas and Valencia, and the pumps would be those operated by private parties.
By:
Reuters
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The state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) ordered the delivery in 72 hours of service stations in some cities of the country operated by private companies, a unilateral measure that came after the government authorized the price of gasoline to be sold and sold in certain places in foreign currency. .
The notification that PDVSA sent in writing and was seen by Reuters on Saturday, June 27, caught the gas station operators who kept the concession of these businesses for decades by surprise, said two sources familiar with this process.
“In Caracas there are a dozen (those who have received the letter from PDVSA),” said one of the sources. The eviction of the service stations, he added, occurs without receiving any compensation.
PDVSA did not immediately respond to a request for more information. The notification document indicates that the oil company “may terminate the contract unilaterally and at any time.”
The change in control of the stations arises once the government abandoned this month the strong subsidies to gasoline that for years made it the cheapest in the world, while receiving for the first time some 1.53 million barrels of fuel. Iran as a measure to face the US sanctions that hinder its operations abroad.
Fenegas, the association that groups gas station businessmen, is requesting meetings with PDVSA and the oil ministry to understand the scope of the measures, the sources added.
In recent days, the state oil company also took control of 17 other service stations in central Carabobo state and notified four similar gas station operators in the eastern Sucre state of a similar change.
Some 1,680 service stations operate in the country, most of which are privately owned and PDVSA owns about 200, which until now have been operating private companies with special permits.
It is unclear whether PDVSA will delegate to other operators or assume control of the sale of gasoline at service stations that receive the notification.
Since the beginning of June, drivers can buy 120 liters a month at a subsidized price and the rest must pay it at a price of $ 0.5 per liter. The Central Bank had ordered banks to sell the foreign currency they received from those sales at service stations in the foreign exchange market.
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