Elsewhere, Venezuela's Hugh Castellano, general manager of the national information technology office, said its oil would flow to the United States. He said Venezuela needs more information on satellite communications as its oil industry, one of the U.S.'s largest suppliers, relies on the satellite-based global positioning system. We are not sure that what they say is true. The truth and who is telling it will be a critical factor in the next six months, said Carlos Jarque, the president of the national institute of statistics of Mexico. The banks will work, but only if not everyone goes and takes out their deposits.
Information is important.
This will very much be in the public domain. Some polls say this will be the No. 1 media issue in the last quarter of 1999. The Venezuelan government has consulted psychologists to focus its message of warning, Catellano said. If we say, 'You have to buy food and have some cash,' food is going to disappear and banks will have a problem. We have to know how to reach people with the right message.