Energy & Mines (MEM) to deliver 60 trucks to new-style Venezuelan PDVSA cooperative

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Elecronic News Posted: Monday, April 21, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Energy & Mines Minister (MEM) Rafael Ramirez  has announced the delivery of 60 trucks to a "new" Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) cooperative next Thursday April 24.  

The new cooperative, Ramirez says,  will distribute  gasoline from the PDVSA Yagua (Carabobo) filling station to the central west part of Venezuela and will benefit 500 families that live near the filling area ... "it's the beginning of a new conception orientated towards integrating PDVSA with local organized communities." 

Ramirez claims that the PDVSA restructure will end the model of an elite running the industry by themselves and open the industry to the community. 

Without going into details as to the role of Venezuela's long established cooperative movement, Ramirez says the cooperative movement will join with "organized" communities to distribute gasoline and take over services and operations such as maintenance, food, providing uniforms, tools and other minor works. 

The MEM Minister says joint worker management will be applied to other national industries as well and has promised to open PDVSA's medical resources and other services to local communities.

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