November
21, 2004
New Foreign Minister
in Venezuela
(BBC News) - "Venezuela's
President Hugo Chávez has named
the former state oil company boss, Alí
Rodríguez, as the country's new
Foreign Minister.
The current minister of energy and mines,
Rafael Ramírez, takes over as head
of the oil company, PDVSA, while retaining
his role as minister (…)There had
been speculation about a reshuffle in
the Venezuelan cabinet for days (…)
Mr. Rodríguez is a well-known figure
on the international stage. As energy
minister at the beginning of Mr Chávez'
presidency, he spearheaded Venezuela's
new oil policy. Later, he became secretary
general of Opec. More recently, President
Chávez has praised his role in
restructuring the PDVSA, following an
opposition-led shutdown of the industry
two years ago.
He is regarded as more of a heavyweight
than the outgoing Foreign Minister Jesús
Pérez. Some analysts believe his
appointment may herald a more robust diplomacy
(…)".
