Caracas, January 7 (RHC)-- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced a cabinet reshuffle, as well as the creation of several new ministerial departments as part of an “economic counter-offensive.”

In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, Maduro named Professor Aristobulo Isturiz as the new vice president of Venezuela.

Luis Salas, who is 39-years-old, will head up the newly-created Ministry of Productive Economy, in a bid to strengthen the economy, Maduro said.

The Venezuelan president announced the creation of the Ministry of Foreign Business and Foreign Investment and named Jesus Farias as head, saying “now is the moment of investment in Venezuela.”

Further new departments announced by Maduro were the ministry of agriculture and land, aquaculture and fishing, and urban agriculture. Wilmar Castro Soteldo, Angel Belisario and Emma Ortega will head up the respective departments.

Maduro announced that the new team would prioritize agricultural production as part of a plan for economic recovery.

“This is a plan of recuperation, national unification and will be a creator of wealth. It’s putting the economy in the center of the new social model,” he said.

Maduro explained that the new ministers must be directly accountable to and in contact with the people.