Being wrongfully detained and held captive in Venezuela for nearly five years

The Millennium Beat’s Podcast

Jose Pereira Interview

Show TMBE-074

Being wrongfully detained and held captive in Venezuela for nearly five years

Pereira Ruimwyk Enterprise Interviewed by way of Riverside.fm

Jose Angel Pereira is one of the members of the CITGO6, a group of Americans wrongfully detained and held captive in Venezuela. He was held for 1,775 days, from November 21, 2017, to October 1, 2022. His only crime is that he is an American. Before the Venezuelan regime took Mr. Pereira hostage, he spent 35 Years of Experience as an Oil Company Executive. He was formerly Citgo Petroleum's CEO (a US-based Refineries Complex and Broad Gas Station Distribution Center across the United States).
Since returning on October 1, 2022, after being illegally and wrongfully detained for nearly five years, he has focused on reconnecting with his family while writing his memoir. He advocates for other Americans wrongfully detained as hostages abroad and uses his voice to help change US policy on dealing with hostages and those wrongfully imprisoned. Mr. Pereira will continue to leverage his international experiences as a point of reference to empower others to make positive changes in the world. His motto is never to give up and never lose Faith. You can find out more about Jose by clicking here or going to: https://linktr.ee/joseapereiraBio:
Jose Angel Pereira was wrongfully detained and held captive in Venezuela for nearly five years, from November 21, 2017, to October 1, 2022. Pereira was one of the members of the so-called CITGO6. His only crime is that he is an American. Prior to being taken hostage, he spent 35 Years as an Oil Company Executive. He was formerly Citgo Petroleum's CEO (a US-based Refineries Complex and Broad Gas Station Distribution Center across the United States).
Mr. Pereira obtained a degree in Business Administration from the Universidad de Oriente (UDO) in Venezuela in 1985. He joined Corpoven, S.A (now Petróleos de Venezuela-PDVSA (a Venezuelan State-owned Company), the fifth largest Oil Company in the world at the time. In 1989, Mr. Pereira completed his Master of Business Administration at the Florida International University through a joint program with Universidad De Oriente (UDO). In 2012, he received a Diploma in International Taxation from the Santiago de Compostela University in Spain.
Throughout his 35-year career, Pereira has held several managerial positions in various PDVSA subsidiaries worldwide. He was assigned to numerous Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) JVs with Ente Nationale Idrocarburi (ENI) from Italy, Inpex from Japan, China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) from China, Statoil from Norway, Total from France, and Chevron. Conoco and Exxon from the US. He was the CFO of CVP (PDVSA affiliated that held all the International JV's). He became CEO of Citgo Petroleum, replacing Nelson Martinez, who later became the Ministry of Petroleum and the President of PDVSA.Mr. Pereira was part of the Great Oil and Petrochemical Projects in Venezuela in the 80s that put PDVSA in the top five companies in the International Oil Business; He actively participated in several managerial positions, including the "Apertura Petrolera” in the 90s (Privatization of the Oil Fields In Venezuela), which was the most extensive privatization of State Owned Companies at that time, He was involved in directing the Internationalization of PDVSA in the late 90s and early 2000s, and the Re-nationalization of PDVSA in 2006-2007. He was part of the team of PDVSA that created Corporación Venezolana de Petróleos (CVP). This affiliate handled more than 40 JVs with International Oil Companies in Venezuela and was finally assigned by PDSA as CFO and CEO of Citgo Petroleum in the US.
He was at the top of his career as Citgo's CEO (the sixth biggest refinery complex in the US), when Pereira was called to attend a business meeting in Caracas at the headquarters of Petroleum of Venezuela (PDVSA) which owns CITGO. That day, he was captured and imprisoned for corruption, espionage, and treason to the country, among other false and bogus charges. This nightmare lasted 1,775 days, 4 years, and eight long months.
Since the United States Government orchestrated his release, Pereira has been advocating and supporting hostage families going through similar nightmares and processes. His experience led him to understand that his message and experience can help others who are going through any circumstance in life and are having struggles so that they can overcome them, thrive, and be successful in their future lives. He uses his experiences with adversity to help a broader audience and speaks to spread a message of resilience, hope, faith, and survival. He is the proof that we can overcome trials and tribulations. Pereira uses his career and life experiences in planning and strategic thinking to convert his dramatic experience into a coaching program to help others, which he calls: LIFE PILLS FOR A SURVIVAL GUIDE (LPSG).

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