Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice nullified the appointment by the country's opposition of new board members of the state-owned PDVSA energy company and Citgo oil refiner, owned by it, and blocked these individuals' bank accounts, prohibiting them from leaving the country
CARACAS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2019) Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice nullified the appointment by the country's opposition of new board members of the state-owned PDVSA energy company and Citgo oil refiner, owned by it, and blocked these individuals' bank accounts, prohibiting them from leaving the country.
"The constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court notes that the analyzed directive, issued by the National Assembly, is absolutely null and void and has no legal effect," judge Juan Jose Mendoza Jover said at the court session as aired by the Telesur broadcaster on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the opposition-controlled National Assembly endorsed members for the special board of directors of PDVSA whose only goal would be to appoint new directors for US-based Citgo and its subsidiaries.
The US office of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself Venezuela's interim president, subsequently announced Citgo's new board of directors.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Guaido of acting at the instructions of the United States, saying that Washington sought to get hold of Venezuela's oil assets, has promised to bring to trial those who would recognize the new appointments.
PDVSA, whose assets worth $7 billion were blocked by the United States amid the political crisis in Venezuela, has called opposition-appointed board of directors of CITGO an attempt to "steal the wealth of the people."
