Venezuela requests warrants for 23 former petrochemical executives -minister

CARACAS, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Venezuela has requested
international warrants for the arrest of 23 former executives of
a petrochemical company in Colombia, Venezuelan Oil Minister
Tareck El Aissami said on Thursday.

President Nicolas Maduro’s administration earlier this week
said his government recovered control of the Venezuela-owned
fertilizer maker Monomeros Colombo-Venezolanos, following a 2019
takeover by the opposition led by Juan Guaido.

Colombia’s Superintendency of Companies, responsible for
inspection and oversight duties of businesses, this month
ratified the company’s new board of directors.

The executives are being accused by Venezuela of improperly
running the Barranquilla-based company, an overseas unit of
Venezuelan state petrochemical company Pequiven, El Aissami
said.

The accused “are directly involved … in all this trickery
and plots that have led to the destruction of Monomeros,” he
said.

They include Guillermo Rodríguez Laprea and Carmen Elisa
Hernández, former top executives of Monomeros.

Guaido had taken control of Monomeros shortly after being
recognized by the United States and other countries as rightful
leader of Venezuela, following Maduro’s 2018 re-election, which
they called a sham.

The new changes in Monomeros’ control come as Maduro and
Colombia’s newly elected and first leftist president, Gustavo
Petro, seek to restore and strengthen economic and military
ties.

Colombia’s Superintendency of Companies intervened Monomeros
since 2021 to re-establish order in the company.
(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Editing by Richard Chang)
((Vivian.Sequera@thomsonreuters.com. Twitter: @ReutersVzla;
(+58-212) 6552653;))

Keywords: VENEZUELA COLOMBIA/MONOMEROS

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