Venezuela seizes US pasta company

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Venezuelan officials accompanied by soldiers have seized "temporary" control of a US-owned pasta producer.

Venezuela says the plant, owned by the big US firm Cargill, had violated regulations on price controls intended to guarantee cheap food for the poor.

The move further increases President Hugo Chavez's hold on the economy, after a series of recent take-overs of private and foreign-owned businesses.

They include a Cargill rice plant, and services companies in the oil industry.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8053006.stm

---

Dunno what the Pastafarians who worship The Great Spaghetti Monster are going to say about this. :shrug:

[robinlynne]

1. na na na na na?

[LakeSamish706]

2. Oh noes... Not the Pasta company.... This is terrible.. Hope their aren't to many...

Italians living in Venezuela...

[Old Coot]

3. Chavez seems to be adopting Cuban style controls which didn't

work in Cuba. The article says that the same company lost a rice plant in March to Chavez because they weren't producing the correct percentage of plain white rice.

[junkyardbob]

5. Controls?

When the largest privately owned U.S. agriculture company gets
slapped into shape for the sake of the oppressed I'm afraid
the whining is a bit overblown. Viva Hugo!

[RC]

8. You Go Hugo!

:thumbsup:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

13. Screw Hugo, he's a small minded little dictator.

[Oerdin]

18. Amen.

Amen, brother. Thank you for call it how it is.

[harmonicon]

36. you of course mean "dictator" in the sense of "repeatedly elected democratic leader"

- it's the less common use of "dictator". Still, I do remember learning about some crazy dictators like that in school. There was this one who was a giant fucking sissy - so damn rich and powerful that he couldn't even be bothered to fucking walk for himself!! What was that POS's name? Something with initials in it or something? President of the US in the 30's and 40's - come on, help me out here!! I've almost got it!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

49. No I mean a scared little paranoid man.

[harmonicon]

56. sorry, by "Hugo", I thought you meant Hugo Chavez

the repeatedly elected democratic leader of Venezuela who is enormously popular in his own country and around the world. The man who has given power to the disenfranchised, grown his country's economy during world-wide economic recession, and stood up to a coup launched by right-wing thugs and backed by the Bush II era CIA.

Who was the scared little paranoid man you were talking about? What does it have to do with this thread?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

57. Ding, Ding we have a winner it is Hugo Chavez indeed.

[harmonicon]

58. I'm sorry - who is this Hugo Chavez?

I was thinking of the president of Venezuela, who is a lawful elected leader of a democratic country. Who is this "dictator" you speak of? It just seemed nuts to me that in a story that mentioned Venezuela that any mention of Hugo Chavez would be about that country's president.

Granted, I'm in the UK, and we don't have access to great news sources like FOX without cable -- which I'm too poor to have -- so I'll just have to listen to enlightened internet persons like yourself for my information.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

59. The self appointed president for life of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, dictator, murderer, etc.

[harmonicon]

60. fact: you don't know shit.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

61. You seem to be suffering from willful blindness.

[harmonicon]

62. blindness to lies, stupidity, and propaganda is a blindness that I'll take

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

63. Just like the wife of a serial killer.

[harmonicon]

67. hang on, Mr. I'm not your wife

Even if we could get legally married in your state, I wouldn't marry you. I like 'em smart and informed.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

87. I guess that makes up for your shortcomings.

[Zhade]

45. So say the uninformed idiots, yes.

NT!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

50. The idiots are those that defend him.

[nolabels]

53. I hope when you're little fire truck breaks down a fellow mechanic tells you to get .....

I got better things to do than to reply further :hi:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

54. I'm sure my fellow Union mechanics will work very hard on it.

[47of74]

74. It's just people who can't stand the thought that not everyone here...

...kisses Hugo's ASS and calls it ice-freaking-cream. Despite all the good he's done, I certainly don't.

[Brgotn]

9. And I bet

that he is using petty reasons for his theft of private property as he did for some of the oil companies. (they stopped work when Hugo failed to pay the bills and then seized the companies because they wouldn't work for free.) I am sure foreign investment into Venezuela has come to a halt.

[EFerrari]

23. LOL. That would be the Tyler Bridges version. But, nice try!

[EFerrari]

26. And yet Venezuela's economy grew in the first quarter of 09

global financial meltdown and falling oil prices and all.

[santamargarita]

4. Cargill, keep it!

[creeksneakers2]

6. Is there ever any follow up?

Can Chavez now use the plant to produce pasta at the controlled price?

[w4rma]

7. That's the problem with outsourcing your factories to places for cheap labor.

Sometimes you lose your factory. I'm waiting for the day that China decides it's in their best interest to grab up multinationals' factories.

[Doctor Cynic]

16. The multinationals don't own the factory anyway, and simply contract production to local companies.

People are reading too much into this. It's nothing. It's just an ideologue wanting to assert control. Nothing more.

[Oerdin]

19. Yep.

The hard truth. I don't trust a man who tried to seize power via a military coup. Chavez is just a tin pot wanna be dictator who will do more harm to his people then good. I have no idea why so many people here love him so.

[EFerrari]

25. Maybe you need to take a history class.

[Judi Lynn]

28. There were two separate attempts to overthrow that monster, as you don't seem to know.

Carlos Andres Perez hiked the price of living for the poor people in Venezuela so radically they could no longer afford the cost of traveling to work and to the grocery store by public transportation. When they poured into the streets to protest, he ordered his police to fire into the crowds. Many police simply walked off the job, walked away, quit. So he turned to his military and ordered them to fire into crowds of unarmed protesters.

He created a hideous bloodbath costing the people around 3,000 of their loved ones, so many the government used a bull dozer to push some of them into a mass grave. That time in Venezuelan history was a turning point, February 1989, from which they will NEVER return. Not ever.

Carlos Andres Perez was impeached for massive corruption, and was imprisoned for a time, and now he keeps homes in New York, Miami, and South America, and is beloved by the racist, right-wing asshole oligarchy in Venezuela still, as he did nothing to injure any of them. What he did to murder the poor was fine with them, apparently, and fine with right-wing jackasses who won't even take the time to find out what the #### they're talking about first, before offering everyone in the world the benefit of their haphazard, poorly formed opinions.

[Tempest]

40. Chavez tried to overthrow a government that was murdering their own people

I would hope to God you would do the same thing if it happened in this country.

Or would you side with a despotic government and pull the trigger on helpless people like Perez did?

[KakistocracyHater]

64. Precisely-why should they make stuff for Americans who don't pay

when they clearly could for themselves. Has anyone noticed the Chinese 'flavor' in new bedding-the lotus, lucky symbols ,etc. It used to have 'American' cultural symbols & I didn't even notice until it changed. That Pillowtex factory, & Royal Velvet sheets that were made in America, until the investors decided to close up & build factories in China. I wonder what the start-up costs are over there.

A very brief fashion history: 1940s hats & gowns etc Made in USA, Union even.

1960s still some Made in USA, but some made in Japan-even Occupied Japan(collectors really go for that because it was a limited time).

1970s now Made in Hong Kong, wicker purses, nightgowns, hats, also lesser quality, vinyl instead of leather, cheaper materials.

1980s lots of Made in Hong Kong(what did the British DO to get all those jobs over there?) Also Made in Taiwan, see Barbie too & her fashions. Shoes now Made in Japan, better quality Made in Italy.

1990s Most Favored Nation-China. JCPenney begins moving jobs to China, LOTS of toys now made there too. See also rocket scientists-but that is not fashion history. Walmart begins their Made in USA ads while moving factories to China. I joke that we are twice as good as the E.U. because the tags say Made in EEUU, or some such. See Michael Moore's interview of Nike Boss:"Americans don't want to make shoes".

2000s Now MOST EVERTHING Made in China-or Chine. Even higher end department stores like Nordstrom's/Macy's are made in China, probably by the same workers who sew clothes for Sears & JCPenneys, it's just that the first 2 stores have more darts, shaped bias binding, better materials & closer fit than the last 2 co.s

2010s:((((((((?)))))))))

[noamnety]

10. Venezuelan Army admits to embarrassing mixup

[EFerrari]

11. LOL

[Forkboy]

31. LOL

:thumbsup:

[No Elephants]

34. Love it!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

12. Just a dictator doing what dictators do.

[Sultana]

66. Like Bush?

[tech3149]

14. Oh Noes!!!! I'll have to make my own pasta?

Oops, forgot I've being doing that for years. Why should some fool want to control the economy for the interest of the citizens? That sounds so socialist but if it works, I'm cool with that.
If the big money players can't pay a reasonable price for the resources and won't take a reasonable buyout, I say F them where they breath. It's likely they have been screwing the locals as "wage slaves" and playing the government as suckers or paying off the corrupt SOB's that have been too fat for too long for decades. Chavez might not be a saint but his arrow is pointed in the right direction.

Now that's one national leader I'd like to have a beer with if we could beat the language barrier. I never did Spanish in HS and didn't have time working in North Jersey to get a good conversational skill level even though I had to work shoulder to shoulder with Latinos at least half the day.

I dropped out of the "wage slave" economy a few years ago. I only wish that more people could tell their corporate masters to FOAD! There is no reason to destroy your life just to make a living.

[Thrill]

15. They should be making that shit over here not there anyway

.

[Oerdin]

17. Some people need to take an economics class.

The price controls Chavez has put in place means companies have to sell their products for less then it costs to make them thus companies stop making and selling products. Chavez rants that this is an evil capitalist plot and so he nationalizes the firms (normally without compensation or with massively under fair market compensation) then orders the state to resume operations. The problem is their still losing money hand over fist because it costs more to make these products then they can sell them for due to price controls. The state can't sustain such loses forever in sector after sector.

I'm honestly disgusted by several of my fellow Democrats for their apparent hypocrisy because you know if Bush did this they'd be screaming their heads off but because a leftist does it they cheer. I am a loyal Democrat but I believe we must be consistent if we want to be creditable. This is neither consistent nor creditable.

[EFerrari]

24. You're right. Bush with never side with the people over Cargill.

[Judi Lynn]

29. You need to take time off posting to get informed about how Venezuela has done compensation.

They most clearly DO compensate for nationalized companies.

Their oil was originally nationalized long ago, during the 1970's, long before this man was elected.

Why is it you're so hot to attempt to misinform people, anyway? Don't you imagine most of us take the time to know about the things we want to discuss to start with?

This is clearly not a place you should go to swap yarns and whoppers. Most of the people you're going to meet here are actual readers and conscientious citizens who keep up.

[anonymous171]

79. I'm not particularly fond of Chavez, but remember that most corporations in SA are soulless fiends.

They deserve it.

[junior college]

20. Cargill is a vicious company

with a horrible record on human rights abuse, working conditions and food sanitation. I was surprised to read they were still in Venezuela. We should kick them out of the US as well.

[Vidar]

21. Good for Chavez. Piss on Cargill.

[Grinchie]

22. Chavez just wants to see how High Fructose Corn Syrup is made

And Cargill has refused him, along with the rest of the world.

Fuck Cargill. They can choke on their unsustainable farming and food production for all I care.

[Dumak]

27. My only complaint is about the rice production

Chavez is requiring that 80% of all rice produced must be basic white rice, presumably because he thinks this is what is cheapest. In reality, brown rice is cheaper to make (it requires less processing), and is healthier than white rice (with 3 times the fiber).

[Cha]

41. Oh yeah,

it's healthier and tastier.

[bitchkitty]

43. White rice is more filling and calorie-dense.

It takes fewer calories to digest it. A high fiber diet is good, but you still need a layer of fat to keep you warm, and foods like white rice won't hurt you, even if the grains don't have the fiber of brown.

It also makes better kappa maki! ;)

[Dumak]

48. White rice is just brown rice with the bran removed

the bran contains fiber, healthy fats, and other important nutrients. You're actually throwing away calories by removing the bran. You *might* have to spend a little more time eating to get the same calories from brown rice as you do white rice, but so what - eating is fun. Nutritional deficiency is a huge problem in many poor families.

[bitchkitty]

51. And it takes more calories to digest - and has its own character

that often does not suit a traditional rice recipe.

Asian people have eaten white rice for centuries, with no ill effects. in some countries, it is the main staple. If you make sure that you're getting a wide variety of plant foods, then you can enjoy your white rice without any guilt or concern that it's not healthy. Apples are healthy, obviously, but a steady diet of nothing but apples is not healthy. It's all in how you use it. Drown that white rice in greasy, fat-laden gravy or plenty of butter - not good. But season it with a little rice vinegar and kombu, stick some pickled carrot or cucumber in with toasted sesame seeds, and wrap it all in a sheet of seaweed - yummy and very good for you!

I'm not knocking brown rice - it's actually quite tasty when used in some dishes. I'm sure it is more nutritious than white rice. But white rice is not in itself unhealthy - it's actually a very clean fuel for your body. If you replace the fiber lost in processing it with other veggies or grains, and a nice healthy fat like sesame or olive oil, then you've got caloric density, and a tasty stir fry!

Some dishes just don't taste the same made with brown rice. The same with whole wheat flour - a loaf of whole wheat bread is great, but try making sugar cookies with whole wheat flour - not good. It's all in what you use it in, how you use it and how often. I think the psychological value of food is of at least some importance, you know?

[nvme]

30. Unchecked capitalism is dangerous

However so is socialism in the hands of a dictator. See Stalin. What Chavez is doing is going to ultimately destroy Venezuela's economy. Why should anyone be interested in dumping their money if the dictator is going to seize their assets? why build a factory or middle class housing? No profit in it.

[Peace Patriot]

37. "Chavez is going to destroy Venezuela's economy"? Chavez has overseen a nearly 10% economic growth

rate over the last five years, with the most growth in the private sector (not including oil), and created economic growth even this year, 2009, in the midst of the Bushwhack Financial 9/11. He and his government have done this while providing universal health care, schools and other services to the vast poor majority never before served by government, and while socking away $42 billion in international cash reserves for a "rainy day," and furthermore cutting inflation in the first quarter of 2009.

Your comment reminds me of the people who keep saying that Chavez is "going to become a dictator," despite his nearly 60% approval rating in Venezuela, Venezuelans repeatedly electing him in elections that are far, FAR more transparent than our own, and no--zero, zilch--evidence that Chavez has harmed anyone other than fuckwad global corporate predators like Exxon Mobil and Cargill. In fact, Venezuela has one of the most vibrant democracies in the western hemisphere, with very high levels of citizen participation and voter turnout, and complete freedom of dissent (short of fascist coups that overturn the Constitution). Chavez has broken no laws, and in truth has run a government that is scrupulously lawful. When is Chavez going to become a "dictator," hm? Point to something--anything--that he has done that has been dictatorial? Nothing holds up--and I have thoroughly researched all of the Bushwhack/CIA bullshit propaganda against him.

If you want a model based on Stalin, look to the U.S. of A. and the last eight years. Slaughtering a hundred thousand innocent people to steal their oil. Torturing thousands of prisoners including thousands of people completely innocent of any crime. Hideous torture--the raping of children, torturing people to death. Writing their own laws with "executive signing statements." Spying on everyone. Stealing us blind. Destroying our election system with 'TRADE SECRET' coded voting machines. Bush/Cheney qualify as Stalin, not Chavez.

Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, said the following about Chavez: "They can invent all kinds of things to criticize Chavez, but not on democracy!" Get informed, get educated on these matters. Why do most of the leaders of South America consider Chavez a good friend and ally? Why do they not consider him a "dictator"? Answer: Because he is NOT. That is the truth. And the rest is utter Bushwhack/corpo-fascist bullshit, on the order of Iraq having WMDs. You have been lied to! And to get their bullshit about Chavez out of your head, you need to put in some effort--some research, some reading and viewing.

Recommended:

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," the Irish filmmakers' documentary on the Bushwhack-supported, fascist coup attempt in Venezuela in 2002, and the amazing, peaceful revolt of the Venezuelan people against that coup--the most important event in modern South American history. Available at YouTube.

www.venezuelanalysis.com - pro-Chavez, well-written, very informative.

www.borev.com - hilarious commentary on the leftist revolution in South America (also very informative--in a Daily Show sort of way).

[Forkboy]

32. Don't be fucking with my pasta, Hugo.

You ain't seen shock and awe until you've messed with the pasta I need to go with my meatballs. :mad:

[DU GrovelBot]

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Donate and you'll be automatically entered into our daily contest.
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[Judi Lynn]

35. Poll: 59 percent of Venezuelans back Chávez

Posted on Wednesday, 05.13.09
Poll: 59 percent of Venezuelans back Chávez
Associated Press

CARACAS -- President Hugo Chávez remains popular among nearly two-thirds of Venezuelans after winning a February referendum removing limits on reelection and he's feeling emboldened, a private pollster said Tuesday.

The socialist leader's popularity stood at 59 percent in March, just slightly down from the 61 percent recorded in February, according to a March 20-30 survey of 2,000 people by the Caracas-based pollster Datanalisis.

Results of the survey, which had a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points, weren't unveiled until this week because a group of businesses that paid for the poll had not authorized its release to the public.

Datanalisis said the latest figure is up from 51 percent in January, 2008.

Datanalisis Director Luis Vicente Leon said he believes the president's popularity ratings appears to have prompted him to enact more radical policies, including the government's recent moves to seize control of some privately-owned food processing plants.

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/venezuela/story/1045913.html

[robcon]

38. It's all a power grab by Chavez.

He'll find 'reasons' to expropriate lots of other companies, too.

[Tempest]

39. So far he's had good reason to expatriate the companies seized

And it's worked out for the benefit of his people.

The only ones hurt are the companies who were sucking the people dry or letting them starve.

[Old Hank]

42. Misleading headline, and commenters here are not reading the whole article

The company violated the law in not producing enough products aimed at being sold at cheap prices and, secondly, the take-over was temporary.

[dipsydoodle]

44. Broadly speaking

you'll find that the anti Chavez brigade have not read the whole article.

Yes :

Deputy Food Minister Rafael Coronado said the government would run the factory for 90 days, and would reassess the situation after that.

He said it has not been producing sufficient quantities of a type of pasta sold at cheap, government-established prices.

[Overseas]

70. The "look at me, I'm a sacred cow basher" troops don't need facts

They know that it is safe to bash all things Chavez related, facts be damned. And to pretend that the changes in Venezuela are all about Chavez. But they are more broadly supported than that.

The self-appointed "cool independent thinkers" feel free to bash him because even the leading outlets of the so-called liberal media like the NY Times and the BBC have bashed Chavez freely. Those media franchises are still following out-dated US foreign policy in which any types of government that interfere with "free market" (i.e. money & violence dominated) systems are to be isolated, ridiculed and crushed. US government policy has supported the needs of our corporations to dominate the economic systems of other countries through force and covert action. That is old fashioned, long standing policy.

They can bash Chavez without looking at the government that preceded his, and how it practiced that fabulous Republican strategy of Trickle Up Economics by catering to the wealthy few. They can choose to ignore how the government before Chavez engaged in Republican-style special contracts for its cronies and violent control of the unwashed peasant malcontents. Big corporations know best and their PR agencies do their best to accentuate the most eccentric aspects of Chavez' character and minimize the serious attempts the Venezuelan government is making to give their millions of poor citizenry a fairer share of the wealth they help create for the country.

But I hope the bashers (especially the younger ones) will see beyond the old-fashioned US foreign policy that sought to crush any incipient "socialist" movements among our trading partners. Those are old-fashioned policies-- dominating our trading partners through covert destabilization, assassinations and brutal force on behalf of corporate control. That's the glorious "free market" for you-- in which power goes to those who freely crush peasant and worker protests in favor of corporate profits. It is brutal and outdated.

OLD OLD OLD style !!

We need alternative forms of government to exist in the world as possible models for handling the ever-intensifying climate crisis. They may create different ways to distribute dwindling natural resources more equitably and sustainably. Let's see what they come up with. They may find ways to live better with less, which we as a country really need to know.

The Venezuelan government is just trying to focus on sharing its wealth with its poorest people because for decades most of the profits were going to its richest citizens. That is a tough transition. I wish the US government would just stop interfering and let them get on with trying to rebalance their government and economy.

I am glad other governments in Latin America are doing the same. I hope the US will stop all its destabilization efforts in Latin America and let them get on with their attempts to build more sustainable models for the future.

I look forward to a really free market-- free of the need for covert violence to sustain it.

[Judi Lynn]

81. You'd think it would KILL them to simply inform themselves of the facts.

All corporate propaganda depends upon people's staying completely ignorant. Without that, there wouldn't be any takers for the bilge they pump out about all governments which don't put US corporate interests first, above those of the massive numbers of poor people in their countries by continuing the sell-out of natural resources and the labor of their own citizens.

Accurate, wonderful comments, Overseas. Absolutely flawless.

[Overseas]

88. Thank you.

I appreciate all your posts trying to give us news to balance out the mainstream reporting on Latin America.

[underpants]

46. Oh crap Hugo, you messed with Cargill? They have lots of friends in high places

:scared:

[Maat]

47. Go, Hugo!

My husband, the Pastafarian, says, "Good for Hugo!" He eats locally-produced, organic pasta anyway.

[excess_3]

52. what price were they charging for pasta? n/t

[dipsydoodle]

65. Above the price

intended to guarantee cheap food for the poor. They're supposed to produce a prescribed volume to meet that criteria and were not infact doing so. So - fuck 'em.

[excess_3]

77. what was the price? please be as specific as you can .n/t

[Judi Lynn]

82. Break down and read the original post, if you can spare the time out from posting. n/t

[mule_train]

55. First, they came for the pasta, but i said nothing, because i did not make pasta

but seriously, while i dont necessarly agree with it, cargill family is so rich i dont care

they'll never miss it, and nobody forced them to move their stuff outside of our borders, and our rule of law

'Oh, how terrible! these filthy rich people moved their stuff ourside of our country (and rule of law) for cheap labor, and now it backfired! Such an injustice for cargill'

[anonymous171]

80. EXACTLY. I really don't have any pity for the rich. nt

[Canuckistanian]

68. Cargill makes pasta?

Now there's a product I wouldn't eat even if I were starving.

[Joanne98]

75. Cargill/Montsanto/ADM same thing

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x449267

[Joanne98]

69. Cargill is a very evil company. I'm sure he has his reasons.

[anonymous171]

71. Just how poor is Venezuela?

Serious question. Is it one of those South American countries where there is a huge wealth disparity, like Brazil?

[EFerrari]

83. Maybe there still is a great disparity but according to the UN

the Chavez government has cut poverty by 50% since 2002 and extreme poverty by 75%.

And there is a tiny rich segment of Venezuela that begrudges every mouthful of food that poor people manage to get into their kids because of the government's policies. Really ugly people.

[anonymous171]

84. Ah I see. The wealthy of Venezuela must be pretty close friends with our economic royalists.

All you hear from our media is how "dictatorial" Chavez is for depriving the poor corporations of their god-given right to profit.

[EFerrari]

85. Exactly. And our own elites funnel USAID money to the rich people

in Venezuela (who don't need it) for their attacks on the government there. And that happens in more or less all LatAm countries where the leaders won't play ball with Exxon, Chevron, Cargil et al.

Case in point: the last disrupted assassination attempt on Evo Morales has been credibly linked to the white separatist movement who has been shown to have ties with both CIA and with USAID. Just another day in the Empire.

[gtar100]

72. I hope he does the right thing with these takeovers. Worshippers of capitalism I see are furious.

After all, what's the real goal here? What is Chavez's end game here? To be supreme leader forever of his own country (a la Castro), or to lift his people out of poverty? Dangerous, difficult territory is being navigated by going directly against the self-serving oil industry and wealthy business people who see their freedoms taken away (wonder if any of them are worried about not eating today).

All you doomsday prophets out there who hate Chavez, careful what you wish for. It's good to not let him get away with shit without protest. But what is your end game? Do you care more about "free" markets than you do about human rights? Oil companies do.

[rcrush]

73. Cargill must make some evil pasta

Their pasta sauce is just the blood of puppies.

[Joanne98]

76. Cargill in Venezuela. From their website. More than pasta......

Cargill opened for business in Venezuela in 1986 by purchasing the assets of Agroindustrial MiMesa (a pasta and flour business) in Maracaibo. In the ensuing years, we expanded our business through both acquisitions and organic growth in the following areas: Oilseed processing, grain and oilseeds trading, animal feed, salt, and financial and risk management. Today, our business in Venezuela is mainly focused around our food sector. We have approximately 2,000 employees spread among 22 locations across Venezuela:

2 offices in Caracas
13 manufacturing plants: Barquisimeto, Cabimas, Catia, Catia La Mar, La Encrucijada, Los Olivitos, 3 in the Maracaibo area, Maracay Píritu, and two in the Valencia area
7 commercial branches: Barquisimeto, Caracas, Maracaibo, two in the Puerto La Cruz area, San Cristobal and Turmero. We manufacture a number of branded products, as well as product ingredients, and distribute them through our own distribution network
Cargill’s branded products include:

Edible oil – Vatel, El Rey, Deleite
Pasta – Ronco, MiMesa, Milani, Fiorentina
Flour – Blancaflor, MiMesa, Gold Medal
Industrial flour – Rey del Norte, Flor de Guayana
Rice – Santa Ana Parboiled
Cookies (through joint ventures) – Xplosion, Wafermix
Fruit juice – Tropimax.
Pet foods – Dogui, Gati, Robustin
Animal Nutrition – Cargill owns the Purina brand of animal feed products for swine, dairy, cattle, poultry, horses, turkey, and shrimp
In Venezuela, Cargill also conducts activities in:

Grain and oilseed trading/marketing
Financial and risk management
Salt
Cargill investments in Venezuela
Acquired Molinarca (Wheat mill and flour plant)
Acquired Agribrands Purina (Animal Nutrition)
Acquired Gramoven (Wheat mill, flour and pasta plant)
Acquired Halaca and Favepro (Originally flour plants, which were dismantled to build our pet foods plant.)
Produsal (Salt production facility) joint venture agreement with Petroquímica de Venezuela “Pequiven” — (Cargill acquired 70 percent)
Acquired Santa Ana rice plant
Acquired Mavesa (Was the largest edible oil products’ company in Venezuela.)


http://www.cargill.com/worldwide/venezuela/index.jsp

[anonymous171]

78. Ahh looks like they were invading the market there.

Glad Chavez stopped them.

[and-justice-for-all]

86. Spaghettigate!!! nt