A "Perceived" Shortage Can Be Worse Than "Real" Shortage -- Road To Mexico -- January 9, 2019

Updates

January 11, 2019: spiraling out of control -- oilprice. 

January 10, 2019: the shortage continues. After denying that there was any fuel shortage, the Mexican government is now commandeering private trucks to bring gasoline/diesel to service stations.

Original Post 

Link at oilprice.com -- fuel shortages reach Mexico City.

The new president of Mexico has been president for less than two months. If I recall correctly, there has been no fuel shortage in Mexico for decades? Certainly years. But here "they" are -- less than two months into the new presidency -- and "they" have fuel shortages in the capital.

From the linked article and comments:

• apparently the gasoline shortages were sparked by fuel theft -- that's interesting in and of itself speaks volumes about how the private sector operates -- perhaps to escape federal taxes? I don't know ... 
• Pemex says there were no shortages -- "Baghdad Bob"?
• authorities worried that panic buying could result in "real" shortages
• the Mexican military took control of 58 key fuel installations in the country (does this sound like Venezuela?)
• "within and outside" -- "within and without" -- The Great Gatsby floats by
• apparently theft jumped from $500,000 / year in the late 2000s to $3 billion in 2018