Caracas, Venezuela - The general strike against President Hugo Chavez has cut not only vital supplies of oil, but also another precious liquid in Venezuela: beer.

Since the strike began Dec. 2, cutting into the beer supplies as the nation's top producer stopped brewing, beer-thirsty Venezuelans have had to turn to whiskey and other alternatives.

Per capita, Venezuelans are the biggest beer consumers in Latin America, drinking an average of 20 gallons annually. Mexico comes next at 13 gallons; Brazil, 12 gallons.

But into the strike's fourth week, beer is becoming hard if not impossible to find in Caracas liquor stores and supermarkets. It's when we sell the most, for parties,'' said Marco Dos Santos, a Caracas liquor store owner.

Empresas Polar, Venezuela's biggest brewer and one of the world's largest, stopped production to support the strike.

Soldiers recently raided a Polar warehouse looking for other products, such as cornflower and cooking oil, after Chavez ordered authorities to distribute hoarded products deemed essential to the nation's welfare.

Beer isn't on the list, and the soldiers only found thousands of bottles waiting to be filled.

Polar said it is taking legal action to prevent more raids.

26 December, 2002