MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

U.S. expecting first shipment of Venezuelan gasoline

Venezuela is resuming shipments of unleaded gasoline from the Paraguana refinery complex, with a first U.S.-bound ship currently being loaded

Paraguana general manager Ivan Hernandez said the initial shipment consists of 360,000 barrels of unleaded gasoline, with each barrel holding 159 liters (42 gallons) of gas.

The refinery, one of the world's largest, is located on Venezuela's central coast. Hernandez told the state news agency Venpres that the shipment would leave for the United States on Wednesday aboard the Nico Cuarto tanker.

The shipment will be the first to leave the Paraguana complex since an opposition-led general strike paralyzed the oil sector from Dec. 2 to Feb. 2.

Additional shipments of 250,000 and 300,000 barrels are planned for the coming days, Hernandez said, adding "We are returning to normal export levels." The complex's refineries are operating at optimal conditions and are able to meet the demands of the domestic gasoline market, despite the disruption caused by the 63-day strike, he said. The strike was organized by opposition labor and business groups to force President Hugo Chavez to resign or call early elections.

The opposition blames Chavez, an avowed leftist, and his policies for the country's economic problems.