WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SG/N/1/VEN/2
19 October 1999
(99-4487)
Committee on Safeguards Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION OF LAWS, REGULATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCEDURES RELATING TO SAFEGUARD MEASURES
VENEZUELA
The following communication, dated 22 September 1999, has been received from the
Permanent Mission of Venezuela.
_______________
Decree No. 250        10 August 1999
HUGO CHÁVEZ FRÍAS
President of the Republic
In exercise of the powers conferred upon him under Article 190.8 of the Constitution and
pursuant to the provisions of Article 1.4.(e) of the Law authorizing the President of the Republic to
enact exceptional economic and financial measures in the public interest, published in the Official
Gazette of the Republic of Venezuela No. 36,687 on 26 April 1999, in Council of Ministers,
ENACTS
the following
DECREE WITH THE STATUS AND FORCE OF LAW
CONCERNING SAFEGUARD MEASURES
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1:  The present Decree-Law regulates the application of safeguard measures designed
to anticipate and prevent injury to the domestic indu stry where it is observed that a product is being
imported in such increased quantities and under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause
serious injury to the domestic industry that produces like or directly competitive products, pursuant to
the different international trade and integration agreements and treaties ratified by the Republic.
Paragraph one:  The National Executive shall establish rules and procedures applicable to
special safeguard mechanisms, such as the safeguards established in the Agreement on Agriculture
and in the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World
Trade Organization, as well as other international trade and integration agreements and treaties
ratified by the Republic.G/SG/N/1/VEN/2
Page 2
Paragraph two:  The provisions of this Decree-Law shall not apply to measures taken in order
to safeguard Venezuela's external position and the equilibrium of its balance of payments.
Article 2:  For the purposes of the present Decree-Law, the following definitions shall apply:
Safeguard measure:  Exceptional and transitional restriction, established provisionally or
definitively, as the case may be, in order to remedy the adverse effects of increases in imports under
such conditions and in such quantities as to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the domestic
industry producing like or directly competitive products.
Provisional safeguard measure:  A precautionary safeguard that is applied in order to prevent
irreparable injury to the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products while the
corresponding investigation is in progress.
Definitive safeguard measure:  A safeguard established following an investigation that has
determined that as a result of a significant increase in certain imports, there is the threat of serious
injury or serious injury to the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products.
Quantitative restrictions:  These are restrictions in the quantity of imports of the like or
directly competitive products under investigation, which in no case shall be reduced below the level
of the average of imports in the last three representative years for which statistics are available.
Like products:  Those products that are identical or closely resemble the imported product
subject to the safeguard investigation.
Directly competitive products:  Those products with physical characteristics and make-up
different from the imported product subject to the safeguard investigation, but which fulfill the same
functions, satisfy the same needs and are commercially interchangeable.
Serious injury to the domestic industry:  This is a significant overall impairment in the
position of a domestic industry producing like or directly competitive goods.
Threat of serious injury to the domestic industry:  This is the situation of the clear imminence,
based on objective evidence, of serious injury to a domestic industry producing like or directly
competitive products.
A major portion of the total domestic industry:  These are the producers as a whole of the like
or directly competitive products whose collective output constitutes at least 40 per cent of the total
domestic production of those products.
The domestic industry for like or directly competitive products shall not be considered to
include domestic producers associated with exporters or importers of the product under investigation,
or which are themselves importers of such products.
If the domestic industry is fragmented, in that there is an unusually large number of
producers, a smaller proportion of domestic producers may be considered, but in no case accounting
for less than 30 per cent of the output of like or directly competitive products, or exceptionally some
products which if imported beyond a given level could affect at least 40 per cent of other goods.
Interested parties:  Requesting parties, producers, exporters, importers, or associations
thereof, as well as associations of consumers or industrial users of the like or directly competitive
products, and representatives of the countries involved in the investigation.G/SG/N/1/VEN/2
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Technical Secretariat:  The Technical Secretariat of the Anti-Dumping and Subsidies
Commission created by the Law on Unfair Foreign Trade Practices.
CHAPTER II
SAFEGUARD MEASURES
SECTION I
CONDITIONS FOR THE IMPOSITION OF SAFEGUARD MEASURES
Article 3:  A safeguard measure may be applied only where it has been determined that there
is serious injury or a threat of serious injury to the domestic injury producing like or directly
competitive products, as a result of significant increase in the imports of the product under
investigation.
When factors other than those related to imports  are causing or threatening to cause injury to
the domestic industry at the same time, such injury shall not be attributed to increased imports.
Article 4:  To determine whether there is serious injury or a threat of serious injury to the
domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products, the quantity of imports of the good
being investigated and its impact on the variables of the domestic industry must be examined.  To that
end, the following factors must be considered:
1. The significant increase in the imports under investigation, in absolute terms and in
relation to domestic output and consumption.
2. The impact of imports of the goods under investigation on the variables of the
domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products, such as:  prices,
output, profits, return on investment, utilization of installed capacity, inventories,
sales, market share, cash-flow, employment, productivity;  and in the case of
agricultural products, the impact on food security.
3. The increase in the market share of the imports under investigation on the Venezuelan
market.
4. The accumulation of stocks in Venezuela of the imports under investigation.5. Any other factor that demonstrates significant overall impairment of the position of
the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive goods, or the clearimminence of serious injury to that industry, as a result of the imports under
investigation.
To determine whether there is a threat of serious injury to the domestic industry producing
like or directly competitive products, it must be demonstrated that a specific situation could give riseto real injury.  Therefore, such a determination cannot be based on allegation, conjecture or remote
possibility.
Article 5:  Provisional or definitive safeguard measures shall be applied to the imported
product in question, regardless of the country or territory from which it comes, except where the
international trade or integration agreement or treaty under which the measure is being applied
provides for selective treatment.G/SG/N/1/VEN/2
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SECTION II
FORM, DURATION AND EXTENSION OF
SAFEGUARD MEASURES
Article 6:  In keeping with the international agreements and treaties concluded by the
Republic of Venezuela, definitive safeguard measures may take the form of increased import duties,
ad valorem  tariff surcharges, whether specific or compound, as well as quantitative restrictions.
When quantitative restrictions are used, they shall not reduce the quantity of imports below the level
of the average of imports in the last three representative years for which statistics are available.
Safeguard measures may be applied only to the extent necessary to prevent or remedy serious
injury to the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive goods and to facilitate its
adjustment.
Article 7:  Definitive safeguard measures shall remain in force only for such period of time as
may be necessary to remedy the injury caused by the imports under investigation, and to facilitate
adjustment of the domestic industry producing like goods.  That period shall not exceed three years as
of the date of entry into force of the definitive measures, except where that period is extended in
keeping with provisions of Article 9 et seq. of the present Decree-Law.  The duration of any
provisional measure shall be counted as part of the initial period and any extension of the period
mentioned above.  Definitive measures shall be progressively liberalized, at regular intervals, asindicated in the decision.
Article 8:  The total duration of a definitive safeguard measure, including the duration of any
provisional measure, as well as the initial period of application and any extension thereof, shall not
exceed six years.
Article 9:  A definitive safeguard measure may be extended following an investigation by the
Ministry of Production and Trade in keeping with the provisions of Chapter IV of the present Decree-
Law, which investigation determines that the safeguard measure is still necessary to prevent or
remedy serious injury or the threat thereof to the national industry producing like or directly
competitive products, and so long as there is evidence that the industry is undergoing adjustment.
Article 10:  A definitive safeguard measure may be extended only once and for a period of no
more than three years, subject to a request by the domestic industry producing like or directly
competitive products submitted within the 30 working days immediately preceeding the three months
before the expiry of the definitive measure, showin g that the conditions stipulated in the foregoing
Article have been met.
Article 11:  Safeguard measures that are extended shall not be more restrictive than those in
force at the end of the initial period of such measures.
Article 12:  Whenever so required by international trade and integration agreements and
treaties ratified by Venezuela, the Ministry of Production and Trade, before extending the measure
concerned, shall hold consultations with the gove rnments of the countries involved in order to
examine the existing situation and to negotiate th e appropriate concessions within the framework of
the aforementioned agreements.G/SG/N/1/VEN/2
Page 5
CHAPTER III
THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES
Article 13:  The President of the Republic in the Council of Ministers shall establish
provisional or definitive safeguard measures, as appropriate, if the investigation carried out by the
Ministry of Production and Trade pursuant to this Decree-Law proves the existence of serious injury
or the threat thereof to the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products, caused
by a significant increase in the imports in question.
Article 14:  The Ministry of Production and Trade shall be the competent body for examining
the applicability of safeguard measures and shall therefore have the following powers:
1. Initiating, suspending or concluding the corresponding investigations;2. receiving and approving applications for an investigation;
3. conducting the procedure to determine a significant increase in the imports under
investigation, as well as the existence or threat of serious injury to the domestic
industry producing like or directly competitive products and of a causal link between
the imports and the serious injury or threat thereof;
4. requesting from the Customs Administration such studies as may be necessary for the
purposes of the investigation, on tariffs, valuation, release, and suspension of duties,
as well as any other study or information;
5. requesting from the Central Office for Statistics and Data Processing information
concerning trade statistics on the imports of the like or directly competitive products
under investigation as well as any other information necessary to the investigation;
and
6. coordinating the relevant investigations and maintaining correspondence with the
interested parties, and preparing the relevant technical studies.
Paragraph one: The resolutions of the Ministry of Production and Trade with regard to the
initiation, suspension or conclusion of investigations shall be published in the Official Gazette of the
Republic of Venezuela.
Paragraph two: The Ministry of Production and Trade may delegate to the Technical
Secretariat, by Resolution, the functions set out in this Article.
CHAPTER IV
PROCEDURES
Article 15:  Domestic producers whose overall output represents a major part of the domestic
production of like or directly competitive products may submit to the Ministry of Production and
Trade a reasoned application for the opening of a safeguard investigation.
Single paragraph:  In exceptional cases, the Ministry of Production and Trade may also
initiate a safeguard investigation, ex officio, provided  that it has sufficient evidence of the increase in
imports, of serious injury or threat thereof to a major part of the domestic industry and of the casual
link between the two.G/SG/N/1/VEN/2
Page 6
Article 16:  Applications from domestic producers for the initiation of a safeguard
investigation must contain the following information:
1. The requirements established in Article 49 of the Organic Law on Administrative
Procedures;
2. a full description of the product being imported, including the name, characteristics,
use or purpose, size, volume and weight, inputs and components, commercial and
technical specifications, quality, tariff classification, as well as the production process
and technology used;
3. a full description of the like or directly competitive product produced in Venezuela,
including the name, characteristics, use or purpose, size, volume and weight, inputs
and components, commercial and technical specifications, quality, production process
and technology used, market price, factory price and cost of production;
4. name and address of the companies importing, exporting and producing the imported
product;
5. evolution and performance in terms of volume, market share and prices of the imports
in question for the three years preceding the application, as well as any information
available for the current year;
6. evolution and performance of the applicant's production, profits, return on
investment, use of installed capacity, inventories, sales, market share, cash flow,
prices and level of employment;  and
7. any other factor that demonstrates the significant overall impairment of or the clear
imminence of serious injury to the domestic industry producing like or directly
competitive products.
Single paragraph:  Likewise, and to the extent possible, where threat of injury is alleged, the
application must include evidence concerning the possibility of an increase in imports, based,
inter alia , on the existence of a supply contract, the award of a tender or a binding offer, or as a
consequence of the export capacity of the country of origin as reflected by an increase in installed
capacity or inventories, with well-founded indications that such exports are destined for the
Venezuelan market.
Article 17:  Within the five (5) working days following receipt of the application for an
investigation, the Ministry of Production and Trade, shall study the documents submitted in order to
determine whether the application meets the requirements established in the preceding Article.  If so,
it shall admit the application.  If not, it shall not ify the applicant within the three (3) following
working days of any omission or shortcoming found in the application with respect to the
requirements established in the preceding Article.
Article 18:  If there are omissions or shortcomings in the application, the Ministry of
Production and Trade shall grant the applicant a period of fifteen (15) working days to correct them,
in which case it shall take a decision within th e three (3) working days following the submission of
the new information and shall notify its decision to the applicant immediately.
Should the applicant fail to correct the omissions or shortcomings, the application shall be
rejected.  If the Ministry of Production and Trade finds that the application complies with the set
requirements, it shall admit the application.G/SG/N/1/VEN/2
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Article 19:  The Ministry of Production and Trade shall decide whether to initiate the
investigation within the ten (10) working days following the admission of the application.  If it
decides not to initiate the investigation, it shall give sufficient grounds for its decision, ordering the
respective notifications to be issued and the application to be placed on file.
Article 20:  If the Ministry of Production and Trade decides to initiate the investigation, it
shall provide adequate justification for its decision and order the respective notifications to be issued
and the file opened.  Moreover, the decision to initiate the investigation shall identify the product
being investigated, the domestic producer or producers, the importers, exporters or foreign producers
and the country of origin or of export, and shall provide a summary of the data stipulated in Article 16
of this Decree-Law.
Single paragraph:  The decision to initiate the safeguard investigation shall be notified to the
applicant, importers, exporters, foreign producers, and the governments of the countries involved.  In
addition, an announcement containing an extract from the decision shall be published in two
newspapers with broad national circulation designated by the Ministry of Production and Trade forthat purpose, at the expense of the applicant, who must submit to the Ministry a copy of the two
dailies in which the announcement has appeared.  Once these formalities have been completed, the
Ministry of Production and Trade shall agree on the initiation of the investigation period.
Article 21:  For the purposes of collecting in formation, the Ministry of Production and Trade
may provide the interested parties with questionnaires and forms and may also gather information and
conduct verifications at the headquarters of the companies concerned.
Article 22:  If a party refuses to provide the requested information or does not do so within
the time-frame fixed by the Ministry of Production and Trade or in any other way hinders the
investigation, preliminary or definitive decisions may be adopted on the basis of the information
available, including the information submitted with the application for the initiation of the
investigation.
Article 23:  The Ministry of Production and Trade may request directly from other
government authorities or agencies such data and information as it may deem necessary to the best
outcome of the investigation.  The corresponding pena lties shall be applied to the officials concerned
for any delay or omission in furnishing the information requested, pursuant to the Organic Law on
Administrative Procedures and the Civil Service Law.
Article 24:  The Ministry of Production and Trade and the parties involved in the
investigation shall hold public hearings so as to ma ke it possible for the parties to exchange views and
make any replies.
Article 25:  The applicant, importers, exporters, foreign producers, governments of the
countries involved and other interested parties may submit their arguments and evidence in writing to
the Ministry of Production and Trade in the course of the investigation.
Article 26:  The persons mentioned in the preceding article or their respective legal
representatives, whose accreditation must be duly documented, shall have access to all the
information furnished to the Ministry of Production and Trade, with the exception of any information
declared confidential by the latter.
Article 27:  The Ministry of Production and Trade may declare information supplied by the
parties to be confidential, at the request of the interested party.  To that end, the request for
confidentiality must meet the requirements set out in Article 49 of the Organic Law on AdministrativeG/SG/N/1/VEN/2
Page 8
Procedures and must also outline in detail the reasons why the information supplied should be
classified as confidential, at the same time supplying a non-confidential summary of the information
or an explanation as to why the information cannot be summarized.
Single paragraph:  The request for confidenti al treatment shall be dealt with according to
whether disclosure of the information would be a significant advantage to a competitor or would have
an adverse effect upon the person supplying it or upon a third party.
Article 28:  Where the Ministry of Producti on and Trade considers that the request for
confidential treatment of the information provided is not warranted, the information shall be attached
to the file after the decision on confidentiality has been notified and finalized, though the requesting
party may withdraw it if he so deems fit.
The Ministry of Production and Trade may choose not to use the information for which
confidentiality has been requested for the purposes of the technical study until a definitive decision
has been taken concerning confidentiality or when the requesting party decides to withdraw the
information.
Article 29:  Domestic producers of like or directly competitive products may request the
imposition of provisional safeguard measures simultaneously with the application for the initiation of
an investigation or at any point during the investigation.  Such request must contain elements making
it possible to demonstrate fulfilment of the conditions  set out in the following Article.  As appropriate,
before imposing provisional safeguard measures, the Ministry of Production and Trade may demand
that the requesting party deposit a security deemed to be sufficient.
Where, after having examined the case and declared a request for a safeguard investigation to
be without merit, the Ministry of Production and Trade deems the request to be manifestly unfounded
or rash, it may collect the security referred to in this Article.
Article 30:  Within thirty (30) working days fo llowing the start of the safeguard investigation,
whether at the request of domestic producers or ex officio, or following the receipt of a request for the
imposition of provisional safeguard measures during the course of the investigation, the Ministries of
Production and Trade and of Finance, as well as any other ministries involved in the activity in
question, after a preliminary investigation and at the recommendation of the Ministry of Productionand Trade, may propose to the President of the Republic in the Council of Ministers the imposition of
provisional safeguard measures, provided that:
1. It is determined that owing to critical circumstances, it is necessary during the course
of the investigation to prevent irreparable damage to the domestic industry producinglike or directly competitive products;  and
2. there is sufficient evidence to justify a serious presumption of injury or threat of
injury to the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products.
Critical circumstances shall be deemed to exist when there is clear evidence of a substantial
increase in the corresponding imports over the preceding six (6) months for which statistics are
available, if the volume and timing have adversely affected the economic variables of the domestic
industry producing like or directly competitive goods.
If the international trade and integration treaties ratified by Venezuela so require, the Ministry
of Production and Trade shall hold consultations with the governments of the countries involved once
it has imposed a provisional measure.G/SG/N/1/VEN/2
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Article 31:  Within ten (10) working days following the receipt of the recommendations of the
respective ministries, the President of the Republic, in Council of Ministers, shall decide by Decree on
the adoption of provisional safeguard measures.  The decision shall be sufficiently reasoned and
contain the elements referred to Article 35 of the present Decree-Law, as appropriate.
Article 32:  The safeguard investigation conduct ed by the Ministry of Production and Trade
may not exceed three (3) months from the start of the investigation pursuant to the Single paragraph
of Article 20 of this Decree-Law, except where there are special reasons, in which case the
investigation may be extended once for a period not exceeding one (1) month.
Article 33:  The Ministry of Production and Trade shall prepare a definitive technical report
within the time-frame mentioned in the preceding Article, so that during the ten working days
following the receipt thereof, the Ministers of Production and Trade, of Finance and any other
ministers involved in the activity in question may evaluate it and formulate their recommendations to
the President of the Republic in the Council of Ministers.
In those cases where the imposition of definitive safeguard measures is recommended, the
report shall also indicate the type, amount and duration of the corresponding measures.
Article 34:  The President of the Republic shall have a period of twenty (20) working days
following the receipt of the conclusions and reco mmendations of the respective ministers in which to
adopt any of the following decisions in the Council of Ministers, by Decree and duly reasoned:
1. Terminating the investigation without imposing definitive safeguard measures and
refunding any amounts that may have been collected under provisional safeguard
measures or returning such securities as may have been deposited;
2. imposing definitive safeguard measures and handing over to the National Treasury
the amounts collected under provisional measures.
Single paragraph:  where the international trade and integration agreements and treaties
ratified by Venezuela so require, the Ministry of Production and Trade shall hold consultations with
the governments of the countries concerned before imposing the corresponding measure.
Article 35:  The decision concerning the imposition of a safeguard measure shall contain the
following elements:
1. The requirements laid down in Article 18 of the Organic Law on Administrative
Procedures;
2. name, specifications, characteristics, tariff classification, use or purpose of the foreign
product in question and of the like or directly competitive product produced in
Venezuela;
3. name and other information identifying the domestic and foreign producer or
producers as well as the importers and exporters of the product;
4. the country or countries of origin or of provenance of the imports;
5. description of the significant increase in imports;
6. description of the injury or threat of in jury to the domestic industry that producing
like or directly competitive products;  andG/SG/N/1/VEN/2
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7. type, amount and duration of the safeguard measures where appropriate, as well as
the way in which those measures will be progressively liberalized over the period of
their application.
Article 36:  Decisions concerning the imposition of provisional or definitive safeguard
measures shall be published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Venezuela.
Article 37:  The Customs Administration shall be responsible for applying the provisional or
definitive safeguard measures as well as for collecting sums involved where duties are imposed.
Provisional safeguard duties may be paid in the form of money or by the deposit of a security, as
preferred by the Customs Administration.  In the case of money payments, the funds involved shall beheld in a special account until a decision has been taken regarding their definitive collection or total or
partial refund, depending on the case.  The Customs Administration shall report selectively on a
monthly basis to the Minister of Production and Trade and the Minister of Finance on the amounts
collected in connection with provisional or definitive safeguard measures.
In cases where a definitive safeguard measure is imposed in the form of quantitative
restrictions, the Ministry of Production and Trade shall be responsible for administering the measure,
while the Customs Administration shall be responsible for its supervision, inspection and control.
Article 38:  All notifications contemplated in the international trade and integration
agreements and treaties ratified by Venezuela must be carried out by the Ministry of Production and
Trade.
CHAPTER V
ADJUSTMENT OF THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY PRODUCING
LIKE OR DIRECTLY COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS
Article 39:  Once a definitive safeguard measure has been imposed, the domestic industry
producing like or directly competitive goods must implement a competitive adjustment plan that has
been previously drawn up and approved by a reso lution of the Ministry of Production and Trade.
Article 40:  In the course of the investigation in question, the applicant shall draw up the
competitive adjustment plan for the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive goods, to
be supervised and monitored by the Ministry of Production and Trade.
The competitive adjustment plan shall be carried out independently and separately from the
safeguard investigation, and all the economic players and competent authorities connected with the
activity in question may participate in drawing it up.
Article 41:  The adjustment programme shall be based on an analysis of the factors affecting
and crucial to the sector's competiveness, which shall determine the actions to be taken and the
estimated time required. The time-frame may vary as a result of the examination made by the Ministry
of Production and Trade of the information obtained through the safeguard investigation.
Article 42:  In cases where no competitive adjustment plan for the domestic industry
producing like or directly competitive products has been submitted, the corresponding definitive
safeguard measure shall not be imposed.
Article 43:  In cases where the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive goods
fails to carry out the required adjustment plan or where the causes underlying the application of theG/SG/N/1/VEN/2
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definitive safeguard measure cease to exist, the measure may be eliminated or its liberalization
brought forward by the President of the Republic in the Council of Ministers at the recommendation
of the Minister of Production and Trade and the Minister of Finance.
CHAPTER VI
FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 44:  Safeguard measures may be im posed on imports from countries that are not
Members of the WTO when it is determined that there is an increase in imports in such quantities and
under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause injury to the domestic industry producing like
or directly competitive products.  The investigations referred to in this Article shall not be strictlybound by the provisions concerning the non-discriminatory application of safeguards and their form,
duration and extension, nor will the provisions regarding the holding of consultations and
notifications to the WTO be applied.
Article 45:  All matters not expressly covered by this Decree-Law shall be governed by  the
rules established under international trade and integration agreements and treaties ratified by
Venezuela in respect of the countries parties thereto.
Article 46:  For all matters not expressly covered by the present Decree-Law, the provisions
of the Organic Law on Administrative Proce dures, of the Organic Law on Customs and its
Regulations and of the Law on Unfair Foreign Trade Practices and its Regulations shall apply on a
supplementary basis, as appropriate.
Article 47:  This Decree-Law shall enter into force as of its publication in the Official Gazette
of the Republic of Venezuela.
Done at Caracas, on this tenth day of the month of August of nineteen hundred and ninety
nine, 189th year of Independence and 140th year of the Federation.
(signed)
HUGO CHÁVEZ FRÍAS
Endorsed
Minister of Internal Affairs, also in charge
of the Ministry of Justice
(signed) Ignacio Arcaya
Endorsed
Minister for Foreign Affairs
(signed) José Vicente Rangel
Endorsed
Minister of Finance
(signed) José Alejandro Rojas
Endorsed
Minister of Defence(signed) Raúl Salazar RodríguezG/SG/N/1/VEN/2
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Endorsed
Minister of Industry & Trade
(signed) Gustavo Márquez Marín
Endorsed
Minister of Education
(signed) Héctor Navarro Díaz
Endorsed
Minister of Health and Social Welfare
(signed) Gilberto Rodríguez Ochoa
Endorsed
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock
(signed) Juan de Jesús Montilla Saldivia
Endorsed
Minister of Labour, also in charge
of the Ministry of the Family
(signed) Lino Antonio Martínez Salazar
Endorsed
Minister of Transport and Co mmunications, also in charge
of the Ministry of Urban Development
(signed) Julio Augusto Montes Prado
Endorsed
Minister of Energy and Mines
(signed) Alí Rondríguez Araque
Endorsed
Minister of the Environment and
Renewable Natural Resources
(signed) Jesús Arnaldo Pérez
Endorsed
Minister in the Office of the President
(signed) Lucas Enrique Rincón Romero
Endorsed
Minister of State
(signed) Jorge Giordani
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