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Venezuelans Now Lack Gas to Cook on Top of Gasoline Shortage

  • Output at Jose complex slows after fire; military take over
  • Propane is used by about 90% of Venezuelans as cooking gas
A young man pushes a car while a woman takes the steering wheel on their way to a gas station where they expect to fill the tank during a fuel shortage in Maracay, Venezuela. 

A young man pushes a car while a woman takes the steering wheel on their way to a gas station where they expect to fill the tank during a fuel shortage in Maracay, Venezuela. 

Photographer: Edilzon Gamez/Getty Images
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Venezuelans forced to queue for days to fill up their cars with gasoline are now facing a growing shortage of propane to cook after a processing plant caught fire and distribution is being rationed.

The Jose petrochemical complex that supplies propane used by about 90% of Venezuelans to cook has slowed production since a fire and a pipeline leakage, union leader Jose Bodas said. As a result, the military has taken control of distribution and began rationing deliveries nationwide, according to people familiar with the logistics, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal.