Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications is representing Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the national oil company of the South American nation and owner of Citgo Petroleum.
It will advise PDVSA on the potential of policy restrictions slapped upon it under the Congressional Venezuela Defense of Human Rights & Civil Society Act.
Plummeting oil prices and heavy debt have rocked PDVSA, which once again may put its Citgo operation on the auction bloc to fetch an estimated $8B.
Under the rule of former Venezuela chief Hugo Chavez, PDVSA served as a propaganda tool to torment the US.
In 2011, it cut and heavily promoted a deal with former Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy's Citizens Energy to distribute low-cost heating oil to poor Americans in Boston and New York.
Rasky has assigned senior VPs Bethany Basset and David Tamasi to handle PDVSA.
Bassett was a key aide to the late Senator Ted Kennedy, who was uncle to Joe Kennedy.
Tamasi heads Rasky's DC outpost and was at Ogilvy PR Worldwide repping Citgo, Hess, Dept. of Homeland Security and Pakistan.
Impact Management Group, which is headed by Republican operative Terry Benham, works to build US support for Ukraine.
Rational 360 has ironed out its six-month $1.2M contract with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to position it as a “sophisticated global investment fund.”
APCO has signed on to promote this month’s visit of Ahmed Al Khateeb, head of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, to the US.
The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism has signed on Montieth & Co. for strategic communications and media relations duties as chaos grips neighboring Haiti.
Edelman is negotiating a formal contract with the Bahamas for strategic communications on issues impacting its reputation abroad.
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