Venezuela Names New Minister of Petroleum and PDVSA President

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro assigned Major General Manuel Quevedo as both the Minister of Petroleum and head of Petroleum of Venezuela, PDVSA, the government’s oil company. 

RELATED: 
Venezuelan President Calls on Public to Combat Corruption

Quevedo announces he will eradicate “corrupt bureaucracy” from PDVSA. 

“We’re going to clean up public finances so that those thieves in PDVSA will finally leave.” He added, The government’s actions have captured many people who had infiltrated the industry. Those who are left should be worried.”

Ysmel Serrano will be the new vice president of PDVSA.

Just last week the Venezuelan government arrested six board members of Citgo, the PDVSA petroleum subsidiary in the U.S., in connection with signing contracts with 2 U.S. equity fund companies to refinance US$4 million of the 2014-15 Venezuelan government debt. The contracts were made without the Venezuelan government's authority or knowledge, and used Citgo as collateral. 

Carlos Osorio Zambrano was named the new minister of transportation. Vielma Mora will be the new head of the department of foreign trade. 

These changes are an effort by Maduro to “construct a new nationhood.” He said 2018 will be the second year of the new economic model of Venezuelan socialism.”

This plans includes rooting out corruption not only in government ranks among the national citizenry. Maduro said "We have to fight hard for a clean conscience. … I ask for the support of the people and the workforce as I get to the bottom of this corruption."