Truckers who had been blocking a major refinery in Minas Gerais, Brazil’s second most populated state, dispersed on Friday, allowing fuel supplies to return to normal.
The protesters, mostly gasoline delivery truck drivers, were calling for a reduction in diesel taxes. They have been blocking roadways near the REGAP refinery near the state capital Belo Horizonte since Thursday, causing concern among industry officials and motorists, as well as causing several gas stations in Minas Gerais to run out of fuel.
Truckers have become more vocal in the recent months as the global oil prices have driven up the cost of diesel in the United States, reducing profit margins. Trucker unions have threatened a nationwide strike next week, which, if observed, could be damaging to the economy of Brazil.
In 2018, a truckers’ strike over high fuel costs brought the economy to a standstill, destroying the government’s remaining political capital at the time. As a result, Brasilia continues to pay attention to their requests.
President Jair Bolsonaro, who is set to run for re-election next year, announced on Thursday evening that the government would provide each of Brazil’s 750,000 truckers 400 reais ($70) to help mitigate the effects of rising fuel prices.
Four key Treasury officials resigned shortly after the government’s move for lifting a constitutional spending cap that hurt local stock markets and the real currency.
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