This afternoon, at aprox 14:15, I was present as the last few drops of petrol were sold at the Los Gallardos petrol station, and the cones brought out. I did take a photo of the lucky chap who went off with a can full of petrol, but he asked me not to put it on the net in case people came round to his house and tried to steal it.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior has announced that it will take strict measures to continue the flow of essential basics through the blockades, and has announced that so far 51 lorry drivers have been arrested for scuffles with the authorities. More than 25,100 police agents have been activated across the country, plus the autonomous police forces, and have been ordered to crack down on any more road protests. Quite a few lorries have been confiscated so far.
“Striking is a right” announced D. Rubalcaba, minister for the interior, “but so is the right to basic essential foodstuff, medicine and petrol”. He also announced that, irrespective of the ongoing negotiations between the strikers and Fomento, deliveries by government lorries would continue. Interior Ministry has reported that as of this morning 2,953 trucks have been escorted, while it has ensured that carriers who want and can not carry out their work can ask for help from his department. Petrol, he announced, “will be delivered, come what may”.
However, Pedro from ES Los Gallardos told me that he still doesn’t know when any deliveries will appear. “We’re down the end of of the list” he said, gloomly.