The Minister of Petroleum called for maximum alert in all productive areas of the industry, as well as for the union and patriotic conscience of the workers. | Photo: Twitter @ViceVenezuela

Caracas, June 4 (RHC)-- Venezuela has denounced an attempted sabotage against the electrical system of the El Palito refinery, located in the municipality of Puerto Cabello, Carabobo state -- an action that was planned from Colombia, with the consent and complicity of the government of Iván Duque.

The Sectoral Vice President of Economy and Minister of Petroleum, Tareck El Aissami,told reporters: "We want to inform Venezuela and the peoples of the world that we have neutralized an intended act of sabotage, which sought to cause catastrophic damage to this PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela) facility."

"President Nicolás Maduro had already advanced about this denunciation that today we want to present to Venezuela and the whole world," El Aissami assured on his Twitter account.
 
"Today we have managed to neutralize an attempt to sabotage the protection systems of the El Palito refinery (...) Said sabotage had the objective of generating an explosion inside this facility", warned El Aissami in statements broadcast by Venezolana de Televisión. 

El Aissami revealed that, as part of this plan, they proceeded to manipulate the protection systems so that, in case of any contingency, an inhibition would occur and cause an explosion of incalculable consequences in the main power plant.   This would not only affect the electric service, but would also put the lives of the oil workers at risk.

The Minister pointed out that in view of this vandalism, he has ordered to redouble security at the refinery.  In the meantime, the work of experts in the entire electrical system and other operational systems continues, in order to guarantee the operational stability to continue producing the fuel for our people, he said.

In this sense, he asked the oil workers to remain on "maximum alert in all the productive areas of our industry, to firmly face the violent pretensions of the outgoing Government of Colombia."   El Aissami argued that there is "an obsession against our industry, with the intention of harming us."