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General Motors Valencia, Venezuela Plant

The GM Valencia plant, otherwise known as GMV (General Motors Venezolana) Plant, is located in the Valencia city, Venezuela. The facility has been closed since April 2017, when it was ceased illegally by the country’s governmental authorities. GM appealed the measure and maintains a legal claim for the rights to the plant.

Fast Facts

  • Year opened: 1983
  • Activity: vehicle assembly
  • Facility size: unknown
  • Location:
    Avenida General Motors, Zona Industrial Sur II
    Valencia, Carabobo State
    Venezuela
  • Phone: +58 241-8503000
  • Employee information: 2,700 direct
  • Production capacity: 80,000 units per year

Products

In its last years of activity, the GM Valencia Assembly plant produced the following vehicles:

  • Chevrolet Cruze
  • Chevrolet Orlando
  • Chevrolet Aveo (T250)
  • Chevrolet Silverado (GMT-900)
  • Chevrolet N-Series Trucks (Isuzu N-Series)

During its nearly 35 years of activity, the GM Valencia plant produced GM vehicles for the Buick, Chevrolet and Opel brands, with high levels of commercial success in the Venezuelan automotive market. Among the most prominent are:

  • Chevrolet Malibu (fourth generation)
  • Buick Century (fifth generation)
  • Chevrolet Chevette
  • Chevrolet Blazer (S-10 Blazer)
  • Chevrolet Corsa (Opel Corsa B)
  • Chevrolet Optra (Daewoo Lacetti)
  • Chevrolet Spark
  • Chevrolet Tahoe (GMT-900)

Historic Timeline

The GM Valencia plant was inaugurated by General Motors on March 3, 1983, but the factory was actually built by Chrysler de Venezuela SA. Chrysler put the facility up for sale due to its highly unstable position in international markets during that timeframe.

The GM Valencia plant was GM’s second factory in Venezuela since the automaker launched in the market in 1944. GM expanded the original, Chrysler-designed plant, making it the largest assembly plant in the country and the Andean region of South America (Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela).

The vehicles produced at the GM Valencia plant were assembled with Complete Knock Down (CKD) kits imported mainly from the United States, Korea, Japan and Brazil. Notably, the plant supported Chevrolet’s ascent to become Venezuela’s best-selling automotive brand for 35 consecutive years.

Illegal Seizure

In a surprise ruling on April 18, 2017, a Venezuelan regional court ceased the assets of General Motors Venezolana, C.A. (GMV), including the GM Valencia plant as well as other company assets in the country. That same day, the plant was taken by public force.

The decision was linked to an inactive cause that GM litigated 17 years earlier, and was carried out without due process and without the right to defend the decision.

The action caused irreparable damage to GM, its 2,700 workers, its 79 dealers and various suppliers. The following day, GM announced the forced cessation of its operations in Venezuela while vowing to “vigorously exercise all legal actions inside and outside of Venezuela” to reverse the measure.

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