Chavez orders expropriation of local giant Cargill unit
Wednesday March 4, 2009 20:13 GYT

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez on Wednesday ordered the expropriation of the local unit of U.S. food giant Cargill, after his Government ensured that the process of rice does not produce the presentation of a price controlled item.

Was not immediately clear whether the measure will affect all the company's operations in the country or only to rice plants, but the president said that a judicial investigation initiated against him.

(By Patricia Rondon Espin; Edited by Ricardo Figueroa)