Holly Fournier, and Ian Thibodeau

Representatives for Auburn Hills-based Guardian Industries and the Venezuelan government are offering conflicting reports on what led to the closure and subsequent seizure of a Venezuelan Guardian facility by the government. The plant has since reopened under government control.

The Guardian float-glass plant in Monagas, in the northeast region of the country, closed the last week in July, according to Guardian Industries and statements by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to the Venezuelan national news agency Agencia Venezolana de Noticias.

Guardian Industries said in a brief statement that the Venezuelan government used military force to take over the plant.

“Last week, the Venezuelan government seized control of Guardian’s operations in Venezuela by military force,” company officials said in an Aug. 1 statement posted to the Guardian Industries website. “Guardian has operated proudly in Venezuela for decades. We have been fully committed to ensuring the safety of our employees, and have acted in compliance with all applicable laws and with respect for the community.

“The safety of the employees and management of Guardian de Venezuela’s operations are now in the control of the Venezuelan government.”

Guardian officials did not say whether the plant was closed at the time the government took control, how many people worked at the plant, whether any American citizens worked there or if the plant had officially reopened.

Maduro told a different story during an Aug. 1 meeting at the Military Academy in Caracas, according to the Venezuelan news agency. The Venezuelan president said the plant’s closure was carried out by Guardian Industries officials, depriving employees of their right to work.

He also blamed the United States for waging an economic war against his country, using the plant’s closure as evidence of “a strategy by the U.S. government to harm the national economy.”

According to an Aug. 4 news release from the office of Yelitza Santaella, the governor of Monagas, Santaella refused to let the company “close their doors” and negatively impact the country.

An Aug. 11 post on a Facebook page tagged as the “official” information page of Monagas said the Venezuelan government reopened the plant under a temporary occupation that will last one year. The occupation guarantees citizens their right to work, according to the post.

Allison Green, press secretary to U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., declined to comment on the situation Monday. Calls and emails to multiple U.S. representatives from Michigan about the plant’s takeover were not returned.

Representatives for the U.S. embassy in Caracas, Venezuela could not be reached. Representatives for Koch Industries, which owns a majority stake in Guardian, also could not be reached.

Guardian Industries is a privately held, diversified, global company employing around 17,000 people and operating facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, according to its website.

The company specializes in float glass and other types of glass for buildings, transportation and technical applications. Float glass is sheet glass formed by allowing the material to solidify on a bed of molten metal.

HFournier@detroitnews.com

(313) 223-4616

@HollyPFournier