Alex Saab at an event of the International Center for Productive Investment in June 2024. Photo: X/@AntibloqueoVen.
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, appointed Alex Saab as the new minister for Industries and National Production. Pedro Rafael Tellechea, who held the position since August 27, announced that he was resigning “due to health problems that require immediate attention.”
Appointing Alex Saab to the post, President Maduro stated that “with his great administrative capacity and commitment to our people, Saab will drive the development of the entire industrial system of Venezuela as part of the construction of the new economic model. All my support to him for the immense task that he has to accomplish.”
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The new minister thanked President Maduro for his trust, and he stated that “with the president’s leadership and vision, together with the people, we will develop the industrial system of Venezuela, building the new economic model with commitment and dedication. We keep winning!”
Alex Saab was serving as the president of the International Center for Productive Investment (CIIP), an institution in charge of attracting and promoting national and international investment, with the aim of revitalizing the productive apparatus for the economic and social development of the country.
In 2020, Alex Saab was arrested in Cape Verde at the request of the United States while traveling to Iran to obtain food items for the Local Supply and Production Committees (CLAP) amid the economic blockade imposed bythe US on Venezuela.
Subsequently, the authorities of Cape Verde handed Saab to the United States, where he was in prison until December 2023, when he was released as part of a prisoner exchange process. Throughout his entire detention, his defense insisted that the US case against Saab was political persecution.
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On Thursday, Pedro Tellechea resigned from his post as minister of Industries and National Production to address health issues, as he explained in a social media post.
“I want to express my sincerest gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the Government Combat Team, which has left me with an enriching and unparalleled experience,” Tellechea wrote. “However, after careful personal consideration and discussion with my family, I have taken the difficult decision to resign from my responsibilities in this organization, due health problems that require immediate attention. I thank you, Mr. President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, and our Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, for the understanding and support you provided during this period, where I always had your timely advice and unwavering support.”
Tellechea held several important positions in Venezuela. From March 20, 2023, to August 27, 2024, he served as the minister of Oil and president of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). He was also the president of the petrochemicals company Pequiven during September 17, 2020-August 31, 2023.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
