CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — U.S.-based Clorox Co. warns that the Venezuelan government’s decision to seize the company’s shuttered facilities near Caracas may pose safety risks for workers and nearby residents.
Clorox, of Oakland, California, closed its production facilities this week saying it had been operating at a loss due to government-imposed price freezes and the soaring costs of materials and operation.
Venezuelan authorities claim Clorox has illegally abandoned the country. The government responded Friday night by seizing the Clorox factory in a move it said would save some 800 jobs.
Clorox, however, said in a statement dated Friday that the production of cleaning products such as bleach is a highly specialized process.
Although it said it removed all chlorine from the site and locked down equipment, “the Venezuelan government’s actions raise grave concerns, and Clorox and its affiliates cannot be responsible for the safety of workers and the surrounding communities.”
Later, Venezuelan Vice President Jorge Arreaza said officials wouldn’t rush into restarting the plant and the government would take all safety measures necessary to handle toxic chemicals.
“We are going to make a plan to reactivate the factory. We cannot make hasty decisions,” he said.
