Caracas, 27 November (RHC)-- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday appointed Major General Manuel Quevedo to lead state oil company PDVSA, and urged a revolutionary transformation of that entity against corruption that has diverted the resources of the country.

The Venezuelan president made the announcement in his televised Sundays with Maduro program. He said that Quevedo, who was Housing Minister, will also lead the Oil Ministry.

Maduro affirmed that the year 2018 will be a break from the oil model towards other economic sectors.

To this end, Maduro also appointed Vielma Mora as the new Minister of Foreign Trade.

Maduro urged workers in Venezuela, who he described as the guardians of the wealth of the people, to protect PDVSA from imperial interests.

The leader added that on Tuesday he will sign a pact with workers of the oil sector for the recovery of the country´s main oil industry.

Quevedo will take over his new roles on Monday before he is officially sworn in on Tuesday. He vowed on Sunday to bring PDVSA closer to the ideals of late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

Last week, six executives from U.S.-based Citgo Petroleum Corp, or Citgo, a Venezuelan-owned refiner and marketer of oil and petrochemical products, were arrested in Caracas on graft allegations.

Manuel Quevedo will be replaced at the Housing Ministry by Idelmaro Villarroel, but he will continue leading the Venezuela Housing Mission that is expected to complete 600 thousand new housing units next month.