Edgardo Paredes tells negotiators to toughen up on reinstatement issue

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Former Pequiven manager and Gente de Petroleo leader, Edgardo Paredes has sent a strong message to the government-opposition negotiating team to recognize his organization's responsibility in the political situation and its role in "helping to restore democracy." 

Speaking at a press conference in front of Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA)  HQ in Chuao and dismissed colleagues, Paredes complains that reinstatement of dismissed oil sector workers must remain an integral part of negotiations ... "a point of honor in the negotiations." 

Paredes, famous for his April 11 announcement to sever ties with the Organization of Petroleum Producing Countries (OPEC), is said to have called the press conference on learning that PDVSA  reinstatements is one of the issues that has been relegated from the negotiations agenda. 

Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel  has ruled out any government amnesty for dismissed PDVSA executives and managers, who, he claims, abandoned their posts to join the opposition-led national stoppage. "The matter of reinstatement is the competence of PDVSA itself and the Justice system and not the negotiating team."