General Motors seeks to exercise its legal muscles in Venezuela as it files a $100 million charge to Venezuela over the illegal seizing of its manufacturing complex in the country.
The Detroit News reports GM has filed an appeal with the Venezuelan Supreme Court over the initial lawsuit that led to government authorities taking the industrial hub, situated in Valencia. Should the court rule in GM’s favor, it would reverse and civil and criminal actions. Whether the government holds true to a reversal would remain to be seen.
GM said it “expects a prompt decision and favorable outcome.”
All of this comes as the U.S. automaker seemed to walk back on its promise to leave the country for good. GM stated it would be open to returning to the country, while Venezuela invited GM to take its plant back from the country.
GM hadn’t built a car in the country since 2015 and fired its 2,700 employees via text message and paid out severances after the plant was seized. GM hopes it may be able to restart production on a smaller scale with a new business model, the automaker stated.
“We haven’t been operating in a normal fashion there for 12-18 months,” GM Chief Financial Officer Chuck Stevens, said. “We don’t necessarily want to exit the country, but certainly it’s not an environment that you can invest in or run a normal business at this point.”
Comment
Like asking your mugger’s grandparents to pay back your money.