"The scene has been repeating itself for 72 hours in Ecuador's main cities: lines of vehicles snaking around corners, drivers waiting for hours in the sun, and gas pumps only allowing customers to fill up with $15 or $20 worth of gasoline. In Quito and Guayaquil, two cities accustomed to endless traffic, now there's also a fight over fuel. I'm frantically looking for fuel because my tank is practically empty, says Darwin Medina, a taxi driver in Guayaquil."
"He visited three stations before finding one with gasoline available. On his fourth attempt, he managed to fill up with just five gallons of Ecopais, a blend of gasoline and ethanol used by a large portion of Ecuador's vehicles because it's the cheapest. Margarita Zambrano waited almost an hour to reach the gas station and heard the same answer repeated throughout the city: only $15 worth of Ecopais per vehicle."
"The crisis for the government began on May 11, the day before the monthly fuel price update under the price band system. Authorities blamed gas stations for hoarding gasoline to profit from the price increase. Faced with this critical situation, control operations and potential sanctions were announced. However, of the 87 gas stations inspected that day, only two were sanctioned, and one of those was for failing to report damage to its equipment."
"May 12th arrived, and the new price adjustment took effect: $3.16 per gallon for Extra and Ecopais gasoline, $4.97 for 97-octane Super gasoline, and $3.10 for diesel. Never before had the country paid so much to fill a tank. The lines, however, continued. The current situation must be analyzed from a holistic perspective, stated Christian Puente Garcia, executive director of the Hydrocarbons Regulation and Contr"
Ecuador’s main cities have experienced a repeating pattern of vehicle lines, long waits in the sun, and restricted gasoline sales for about 72 hours. Drivers report visiting multiple stations before finding limited fuel, often only allowing purchases of $15 or $20 worth of Ecopais, a gasoline-ethanol blend widely used because it is cheaper. Commuters describe waiting nearly an hour and receiving the same restriction repeatedly. The government’s crisis began May 11, when authorities blamed stations for hoarding gasoline ahead of a monthly price update under a price band system. Inspections led to few sanctions. On May 12, new prices took effect, increasing costs for multiple fuel types, but shortages and lines persisted.
Read at english.elpais.com
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