Venezuela: Iranian Tankers Start Fueling El Palito Refinery

Both Iranian tankers that have arrived at the coasts of Venezuela, carrying fuel to meet the demand of this South American country, started fueling gasoline Monday at the northern state of Carabobo in the Palito refinery.

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Second Iranian Tanker Reaches Venezuelan Waters

The Fortune, docked on Saturday, and the Forest, which arrived in the early hours of May 25, are two of the five tankers already in the country. The tankers were escorted by ships and planes of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) due to the threats received from the United States.

Along with the Petunia, Faxon, and Clavel, the ships are carrying gasoline and other equipment that will restart the fuel production at the El Palito refinery, one of the most important oil processing complexes in the nation.

Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami, present at the arrival of the Fortune on behalf of the government of Venezuela, thanked the government of Iran for sending the ships and stated that their berth expresses the countries self-determination.

"We are very fortunate to have Iran in these times," said the also Vice President of Economy, in a small ceremony at the port, adding that "deeds like this should be a normal thing, not an expression of resistance to the hegemonic claims of the U.S."

El Palito oil refinery, which had to reduce its operations as a result of the blockade, supplies Venezuela's central-western area through pipes that go all the way to Valencia and then spread to the rest of the country.