South America gas crisis solution fails

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia failed to resolve a natural gas dispute Saturday, but agreed to study how to divide Bolivian supplies to avoid an energy crunch, an official said.

Bolivian Energy Minister Carlos Villegas said the three leaders amicably discussed ways to divide up limited Bolivian supplies, but reached no immediate solution during talks at Argentine President Cristina Fernandez’s suburban residence.


“We need to assure the overall supply of energy for the long term,” Villegas said after Fernandez met Bolivia’s Evo Morales and Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

He said they agreed to create a committee made up of the three energy ministers “that is going study the structural issue of gas supplies in moments of greatest demand.”

AP