FORM 6-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ~~Washington, D.C. 20549~~

Washington, D.C. 20549

Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the month of ~~October 2003~~January, 2005

Commission File number: 001-12412

~~PETROLEOS~~PETRÓLEOS DE VENEZUELA, S.A. ~~(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)~~

~~VENEZUELAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM COMPANY~~ (~~Translation~~Exact Name of Registrant's ~~Name~~as ~~into~~Specified ~~English)~~in its Charter)

~~Avenida~~VENEZUELAN ~~Libertador La~~NATIONAL ~~Campiña,~~PETROLEUM ~~Apdo. 169 Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela (Address of Principal Executive Offices)~~ COMPANY

(Translation of Registrant’s Name into English)

Avenida Libertador
La Campiña, Apdo. 169
Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F ý

Form 40-F o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):

Yes o

No ý

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):

Yes o

No ý

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes o

No ý

Item 1. ~~Press~~Report ~~Release~~on ~~announcing~~ the ~~filing~~Appointment of ~~PDVSA~~a New President and ~~PDVSA~~Chief ~~Finance's~~Executive ~~annual~~Officer. ~~reports~~2. Report on ~~Form~~the ~~20-F~~Appointment of a New Chief Financial Officer.

~~Item 1.~~ 2

~~Press~~Item ~~release~~ 1.

PDVSA ~~One~~REPORTS ~~week~~THE ~~ahead~~APPOINTMENT ofOF ~~time PDVSA~~A ~~delivers~~NEW PRESIDENT ~~its~~AND ~~2002~~CHIEF ~~Annual~~EXECUTIVE ~~Report to the SEC~~ OFFICER

~~Caracas,~~Petróleos 25de ~~October 2003~~Venezuela, S.—A. ~~The~~(“PDVSA”) ~~2002~~reported ~~Annual~~that Rafael ~~Reports~~Ramírez ofCarreño, ~~Petróleos~~the decurrent ~~Venezuela~~Minister ~~and~~of ~~its~~Energy ~~subsidiary,~~and ~~PDVSA Finance Ltd.~~Mines, onhas ~~Form 20-F,~~been ~~were~~appointed as ~~delivered~~the onnew ~~October 24~~President toand ~~the~~Chief USExecutive ~~Securities~~Officer ~~and~~of ~~Exchange~~PDVSA ~~Commission~~by ~~(SEC),~~Mr. ~~effective~~Hugo ~~October 27.~~Chávez Frías, ~~Their~~the ~~deliver~~President isof ~~one~~the ~~week ahead~~Bolivarian Republic of ~~its~~Venezuela. Mr. ~~due~~Ramírez ~~date,~~was ~~thanks~~appointed to the ~~efforts~~position ~~made~~on November by27, ~~only~~2004 ~~15%~~and ofreplaces ~~the~~Alí ~~Finance~~Rodríguez ~~Executive Directorate's work force~~Araque, who ~~remained~~was atappointed ~~their~~to ~~jobs~~be the ~~after~~head of the ~~work-stoppage/sabotage~~Ministry ~~which~~of ~~began~~Foreign ~~in December~~Affairs. ~~2002~~ Mr. ~~They~~Ramírez ~~work~~will ~~along~~retain ~~with~~his ~~new~~position ~~hired~~as ~~personnel—most~~the ofMinister ~~them retired professionals~~ of ~~PDVSA—to~~Energy ~~make~~and ~~possible this achievement, informed José~~Mines ~~Gregorio~~while ~~Morales,~~serving ~~Finance~~as ~~Executive~~President ~~Director~~ of ~~Petróleos de Venezuela, S~~PDVSA.A.

~~The documents~~Mr. ~~already~~Ramírez ~~mentioned~~is ~~include~~a ~~the~~mechanical ~~audited~~engineer ~~financial~~who ~~statements~~graduated from ~~for~~ the ~~year~~University ~~ended~~of onthe ~~December 31,~~Andes ~~2002,~~and ~~issued~~he byholds ~~the~~a ~~international~~master’s ~~firm~~degree ~~KPMG,~~in ~~once~~electrical engineering from the ~~analyses~~Central ~~and~~University ~~respective~~of ~~notes to~~Venezuela. He ~~the~~began ~~financial~~his ~~statements~~professional ~~had~~career ~~been~~at ~~completed.~~Intevep where ~~Worldwide~~he ~~accounting~~managed ~~standards~~the ~~are~~extra ~~more~~heavy ~~stringent~~crude ~~and~~division ~~rigorous, which~~ in ~~itself~~the ~~meant~~Orinoco ~~that~~Belt. He ahas ~~greater~~experience ~~amount~~in ofthe ~~information~~development, ~~related~~coordination, and tomanagement ~~operational~~of engineering and ~~administrative~~ ~~activities~~construction ~~had~~projects tofor bethe ~~supplied,~~domestic oil and ~~these~~gas inindustry. Mr. ~~greater~~Ramírez ~~detail~~also ~~and~~has worked ~~transparency than~~ in ~~previous~~the ~~years.~~United ~~This~~States ~~will~~on ~~enable~~ the ~~SEC~~development toof ~~have~~the ~~more~~Cardón ~~comprehensive~~Refinery Expansion Project and ~~precise~~in ~~knowledge~~France ofon the ~~Petróleos~~ deNigerian ~~Venezuela~~Liquefied ~~business.~~Natural Gas Project.

~~The~~Additionally, Mr. Ramírez was a founding member and ~~following~~president ~~are~~of ~~notable~~the ~~results~~National inGas ~~PDVSA's~~Entity, ~~audited~~an ~~financial~~agency ~~statements~~responsible for structuring the National ~~year~~Gas Plan and for designing, developing and promoting Venezuela’s policy in this sector. In February 2002, Mr. ~~prepared~~Ramírez was appointed as an external director of PDVSA and in ~~accordance~~July ~~with~~2002 UShe was ~~generally~~sworn ~~accepted~~in ~~accounting~~as ~~principles:~~Minister of Energy and Mines by President Chávez Frías.

~~Notwithstanding the~~Item December 2002 and first-quarter 2003 crisis, PDVSA operations recovered successfully. By the July 2003 closing, the Venezuela's crude oil and gas production had reached 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd), while refining 1.1 million bpd and exporting 2.4 million bpd. Likewise, PDVSA has complied fully with all its financial obligations abroad, with outlays that totaled US$ 1.8 billion by the September 2003 closing, of which US$ 1.4 billion went to debt amortization. As a result of these achievements, PDVSA's credit rating has been upgraded by the leading international agencies.

~~The work stoppage temporarily affected the timely processing of our operational and financial data. During this period,~~ PDVSA ~~implemented~~REPORTS ~~alternative~~THE ~~control~~APPOINTMENT ~~systems,~~OF ~~filled~~A ~~key~~NEW ~~management positions~~CHIEF ~~and~~FINANCIAL hired and trained new personnel to oversee our operational, administrative, financial and information systems. Additionally, our recovery efforts included the development of a human resources strategic plan and of information technology. The control systems were fully restored by the end of July 2003. OFFICER

~~In June~~On ofOctober ~~this year~~14, ~~PDVSA~~2004 ~~Finance Ltd~~Mr. ~~presented~~José ~~its~~Alejandro ~~financial~~Rojas ~~statements~~was appointed ~~for~~as the ~~year~~new ~~ended~~Chief onFinancial 31Officer ~~December 2002~~for toPDVSA. His ~~the~~appointment ~~trustee,~~became effective as ~~well~~of October 15, 2004. Mr. Rojas will act as CFO in addition to ~~the~~his ~~SEC,~~role ~~under~~as Vice President of Finance and Planning and as a ~~Form 6-K.~~member Itof PDVSA’s Board of Directors. He also ~~submitted~~serves ~~its~~as ~~financial~~the President of PDVSA Finance, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of PDVSA.

Mr. Rojas graduated in 1983 from the Central University of Venezuela with a bachelor’s degree in mathematical statistics. In 1987 Mr. Rojas completed a master’s program in energy economics at the French Institute of Petroleum before obtaining a master’s degree in econometrics and mathematical economics from the University Pantheon-Assas, París 2 in 1988. In 1993 Mr. Rojas received his Ph.D in economic sciences, econometrics and mathematical economics from the University Pantheon-Assas, París 2.

statements for the first quarter of 2003 to the SEC and the trustee, and has delivered its monthly statements up to September 2003 to the trustee. Additionally, CITGO Petroleum Corporation and PDV America, Inc., Petróleos de Venezuela subsidiaries in the United States, had already presented their annual reports to the SEC under Form 10-K on time, in March 2003. 3

~~&&&~~ Before being appointed as a Vice President of PDVSA, Mr. Rojas was the Executive Director for Panama and Venezuela of the Inter-American Development Bank (“IDB”) and was the Venezuelan governor at the IDB. While at the IDB Mr. Rojas also served as the Venezuelan Finance Minister, President of the Consultant Council of the Andean Community of Nations and President of the Latin American Reserves Fund. Prior to his role at the IDB Mr. Rojas served as Venezuela’s Finance Vice Minister, director of several state-owned companies, an international financial institution official and a consultant to several private industries and government organizations. Additionally, Mr. Rojas has done research and has developed several econometric models on various aspects of the Venezuelan economy. Mr. Rojas also has held faculty and executive positions at Andrés Bello Catholic University, the Central University of Venezuela, and the University of Zulia.

3About PDVSA

PDVSA is the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, formed by the government of Venezuela in 1975. All ~~SIGNATURES~~ of the crude oil and natural gas reserves are located exclusively in Venezuela and PDVSA’s exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas are conducted exclusively in Venezuela. The refining, marketing and transportation of crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products of PDVSA are located in Venezuela as well as in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. PDVSA Finance, a Cayman Islands company, is the principal financing vehicle for and a wholly owned subsidiary of PDVSA.

~~Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.~~ 4

		PETROLEOS DE VENEZUELA, S.A.
Date: October 29, 2003		By:	/s/ AIRES BARRETO Name: Aires Barreto Title: Vice President

SIGNATURES

4Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

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	PETRÓLEOS DE VENEZUELA, S.A.


Date: January 10, 2005	By:	/s/ Rafael Ramírez Carreño
		Name:	Rafael Ramírez Carreño
		Title:	President and Chief Executive Officer

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