Venezuela's Chavez orders takeover of iron-makers/ Chávez anuncia expropiación de empresas

President Hugo Chavez announced Saturday the expropriation of a group of iron, aluminum and transportation companies in Venezuela's mining region. Among the expropriated companies is Materiales Siderurgicos, or Matesi, which is the Venezuelan subsidiary of Luxembourg-based steel maker Tenaris SA. Venezuela's socialist president said in a televised that his government was going to take over Matesi because "we couldn't reach an amicable and reasonable settlement with the owners."(full information)/ El presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez anunció el sábado la expropiación de un grupo de empresas productoras de hierro briqueteado, aluminio y de transporte de materias primas en una región minera, entre las que se incluye Materiales Siderúrgicos (Matesi), filial del grupo argentino Tenaris. “Como no hemos podido llegar a un acuerdo amigable y razonable con sus propietarios entonces vamos a expropiar a Matesi, procedamos'', dijo el mandatario en un discurso televisado. ( full information)