Gasoline protest - Taxi and truck strike paralyzes Nicaragua
May 6th, 2008 by Jon Posted in Nicaragua News | 1 Comment
It was only a matter of time.
With the skyrocketing price of gasoline around the world and cost of a barrel of crude at the $120 mark, it’s no surprise to see the drivers in Nicaragua revolt against the crippling cost of fuel.
Drivers of taxis and buses are pressuring the Nicaraguan government to help provide a subsidy for the cost of fuel, similarly to what some bus drivers in Managua have enjoyed.
According to the article, the cost of gasoline is at 90 Cordobas / gallon ($4.70 USD / gallon). This is a substantial amount of money when you consider the high numbers of unemployed and daily wage of $5 USD/day for a typical laborer in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua’s problem is that majority of its oil is imported from countries like Venezuela which inflates the already high cost of oil. However, Nicaragua president Daniel Ortega is attempting to offset that by allowing foreign corporations to explore for oil off the Atlantic coast.
The mission team at Cornerstone recently donated money to Verbo ministries in Bluefields to help pay for gasoline for two trucks. Being mobile and reaching the needy is a big part of the ministry, but with the high price of gas I suspect Verbo will need more help in the future.
Technorati Tags: gasoline, crude, fuel, subsidy, money, Nicaragua, oil, import
May 30th, 2008 at 10:41 am
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