(Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday that he'd be willing to sell gasoline to Venezuela as a humanitarian gesture despite U.S. sanctions against the South American country.
“If they requested it and it was a humanitarian necessity, we would do it,” Lopez Obrador said in reply to a question, adding that Venezuela hasn't asked Mexico for aid at the moment. “No one has the right to oppress others.”
Venezuela faces crippling gasoline shortages after years of mismanagement of production and refining infrastructure. Selling fuel to the nation would likely result in sanctions by the U.S. government, which prevent other countries and companies from working with the government of Nicolas Maduro.
Read More: U.S. Plans Oil Tanker Sanctions to Cut Iran-Venezuela Trade
Venezuela has recently turned to Iran to help repair refineries and restock fuel inventories as domestic production evaporated amid the sanctions. In response, the U.S. government is preparing additional sanctions on as many as 50 oil and fuel tankers as part of an effort to cut off trade between the two countries, according to a person familiar with the matter.
While Mexico is a big exporter of crude oil, it also relies on gasoline imported mostly from the U.S. to match its domestic consumption. The country's own gasoline exports are negligible.
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