Charges against rebel ex-PDVSA executives are dropped on "procedural violations"

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 By: David Coleman

Charges against seven former oil executives, fired from Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) for their roles in the 2-month opposition attempts to sabotage the Venezuela's oil industry, have been dropped for alleged violations of judicial procedure. Defense lawyer Juan Martin Echeveria says the case had been thrown out after an appeals court review of how a lower court had raised the charges in the first place ... he told reporters "we have begun to see a light in Venezuela's administration of justice."

The seven rebele have, however, decided to remain in hiding until a general warrant for their detention has been voided by proper authorities. Rebel leader Edgar Quijano is reported as saying "we must be very careful . . . because the rule of law doesn't exist in Venezuela."

The anti-Chavez opposition claims that police had acted outside the framework of law ehen they attempt to arrest former PDVSA executive Juan Fernandez, last week, as he defiantly made a rebel appearance at a Caracas opposition rally. His supporters had threatened physical violence on police officers as the dragnet closed on the PDVSA saboteur and he was rushed away to an undisclosed location.

President Hugo Chavez Frias says, however, that PDVSA sabotage leaders must be punished under the full force of the law for inflicting tremendous suffering on the Venezuelan population ... but opposition leaders claim that arrest warrants issued to detain and bring their ringleaders to trial is tantamount to political persecution.