PDVSA oil rebels free to walk the streets as arrest warrants are lifted

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

According to defense lawyer Juan Martin Echeverria, arrest warrants issued against 7 former Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) have been revoked. "The Appeals Court has annulled all the acts of 50th Control Judge Belkis Cedeno.”

Echeverria points out that the court has moved on three things:

Declaring the defense lawyer’s appeal inadmissible, arguing that Echeverria was not qualified to exercise the recourse

Thrown out articles that violate the right to defense, due process, appropriate judge and balance between the parts in question

Declaring the 50th Control Judge absolutely null.

The seven accused oil rebels are: Finance Planning & Control manager Juan Fernandez, Refinery Strategy chief consultant Gonzalo Feijoo, Business Strategy manager Horacio Medina, Human resources labor adviser Edgar Quijano and managers Juan Lino Carrillo, Mireya de Amaya and Juan Santana.

Although it is presumed that the government will not drop charges of economic sabotage against the 7 for organizing the crippling oil stoppage, it will have to go to the courts or the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to appeal against the order to annul arrest warrants.