Venezuela to seize Kimberly-Clark factory as production ends
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s government said Monday that it will seize a factory belonging to Kimberly-Clark Corp. after the U.S. personal care giant said it was no longer possible to manufacture in this crisis-wracked South American nation.
President Nicolas Maduro accused Kimberly-Clark of participating in an international plot to damage Venezuela’s economy and said his socialist government would provide public funds to the workers at the plant.
Speaking on television and radio, Maduro also announced that U.S.-based Citibank, which has handled some of the state’s international transactions, notified authorities that it would close the accounts of the Central Bank of Venezuela in 30 days. He linked both actions to the economic war on Venezuela, calling it “the new imperialist inquisition” of U.S. President Barack Obama.
Labor Minister Owaldo Vera said earlier that the government would take over the Kimberly-Clark factory at the request of the 971 workers who have occupied the plant that the company decided to shutter in central Aragua state.