CARACAS, Sept. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that Venezuela will send 1 million barrels of gasoline to the areas affected by hurricane Katrina in the United States.

    During a television program, Chavez said that before making the decision, he held a talk with Felix Rodriguez, chairman of the Venezuelan petroleum firm based in the United States, Citgo.

    The company chief told the president that, currently, one gallon of gasoline costs 7 US dollars in hurricane-striken areas in the United States.

    Rodriguez said the energy crisis shows a supply shortage between 1.3 and 1.5 million liters of gasoline a day. Enditem