Venezuelans rush to buy booze ahead of Easter-week ban

CARACAS, Venezuela — For beer and whiskey-loving Venezuelans, Easter this year won't be an alcohol-soaked drinking fest.

President Hugo Chávez has imposed a ban on alcohol sales during Holy Week in an attempt to reduce accidents and crimes, prompting a run on liquor stores.

The decree prohibits alcohol sales on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. A more limited ban restricting sales to between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., including at restaurants and bars, began Friday and will last through April 9.

The sudden, unprecedented measure confused many Venezuelans who raced to load up before Friday, thinking that would be their last chance to buy for more than a week.

"People are desperate, above all because the majority found out at the last minute," said Jose Manuel Fernandes, a liquor store owner in Caracas, as he struggled to meet the demands of dozens of customers yelling for bottles and cases.

Industry figures show that Venezuela is among the top producers and consumers of beer in Latin America, while whiskey and rum are also popular spirits. Despite laws that prohibit the consumption of alcohol in public areas, Venezuelans can often be seen drinking on street corners or even driving with a beer in hand.

Close to a hundred deaths and thousands of injuries are reported every year during the Easter holiday, which authorities attribute largely to alcohol consumption.

Some Venezuelans suspected the measure has more to do with Chávez's friendly ties with Iran, where Islamic law forbids alcohol.

"I got nervous. I thought Chávez had prohibited the sale of liquor seeing how he talks about Cuba, socialism and the [Iranian] ayatollahs," Enrique Salazar, 67, said after buying three bottles of whiskey.

"I don't drive so I'm not a danger to anybody," Salazar said. "Instead of prohibiting [sales], they should throw drunks who drive in jail."

Police rarely crack down on public alcohol consumption.

The majority of Venezuelans show strong support for Chávez, who has said he wants to lead a socialist revolution in the country. But they have been less enthusiastic about his attempts to curb drinking, including his announcement in October banning the beer trucks that sell alcohol directly on the street.