WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US government on Monday authorized the shipment of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is mainly used as a cooking fuel in the OPEC nation and is currently in short supply, to Venezuela. Due to which people burn large quantities of wood.
The US Treasury Department authorized, as of July 8, 2022, some export and re-export of gas to Venezuela, known as LPG, which did not receive permits in 2018 and 2019 during the Trump administration.
The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), part of the Treasury Department, has issued a license for gas shipments in transactions involving the Government of Venezuela, the State Energy Company of Venezuela (PDVSA) or any other entity holding 50% or more of the PDVSA. is allowed. OFAC said the license does not allow payment in oil or petroleum products.
Many people in Venezuela burn LPG as cooking gas, but this has become a rarity as the country’s economy collapses. US sanctions on PDVSA have hampered investment in its refining network, prompting more people to burn wood for fuel.
An increase in wood burning could exacerbate respiratory problems from fumes, raise temperatures in cities and place environmental stress on lands that already face deforestation and demand wood for housing construction. are.
LPG is a gas group that includes propane, common butane and isobutane.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner)
