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Costa Unsuccessfully Tries to
Solve Impasse With Venezuela
Costa Rican Minister of Foreign
Affairs Bruno Stagno over the
weekend made unsuccessful
attempts at meeting with
Venezuelan Vice-Minister of
Basic Industries and Mining
Jesús Paredes to clarify the
situation of the aluminum
processing plant Alunasa which
Venezuela owns in Costa Rica.
"Unfortunately nothing could be
done," Stagno said on Monday on
his attempts at meeting with
Paredes.
Paredes arrived in Costa Rica
over the weekend precisely to
address issues related to the
Venezuelan state-owned aluminum
plant CVG Alunasa S.A., which
operates in Esparza, 100
kilometers west San José, and
which employs 400 workers.
According to different sources,
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
intends to close the plant
because he is mad at his Costa
Rican counterpart Oscar Arias,
who earlier this month harshly
criticized the Venezuelan ruler.
Meanwhile, Costa Rican Ministro
de la Presidencia and brother to
the president, Rodrigo Arias,
Monday was scheduled to meet
with Alunasa representatives who
have voiced concern about the
likely shutdown of the plant.
Last week, president Arias hoped
Chávez would not close the site.
"We hope the fears of workers do
not come true, as it would be
regrettable to deprive some 400
workers and their families (they
add up to some 2,400 people)
from their living," Arias said
in a brief statement.
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