Venezuela's government says it is taking over and reactivating a factory 
belonging
 to US company Kimberly-Clark, after the consumer products giant 
announced last week it was suspending operations because of the 
country's deteriorating economic situation.
Speaking on state television on Monday, Venezuelan Labour Minister 
Oswaldo 
Vera said President Nicolas Maduro had ordered the seizure of the 
plant at the request of its 1,200 workers.
He said the government would supply the raw materials the plant 
needed to
 operate.
Kimberly-Clark, which manufacturers a series of products, including
 facial tissue, toilet paper and diapers, announced on Saturday that it 
was halting 
production in Venezuela's northern Aragua region because of a lack of
 hard 
currency and raw materials.
Bridgestone, General Mills, Procter & Gamble and other multinational
 corporations have also reduced operations in Venezuela amid a deepening 
economic crisis.
Kimberly-Clark y said on Monday that it had acted appropriately in 
suspending operations.
"If the Venezuelan government takes control of Kimberly-Clark facilities 
and operations, it will be responsible for the well-being of the workers and 
the physical assets, equipment and machinery in the facilities going forward,
" the Texas-based company said in a statement.
Maduro accused Kimberly-Clark of participating in an international plot 
to damage Venezuela's economy.
Venezuela has been mired in an economic crisis that has emptied shop
 shelves and created shortages of food, medicine and household supplies. 
The recent slump in oil prices devastated the OPEC nation's economic
 model, leading to growing anger among the roughly 30 million residents.
The Venezuelan opposition launched its efforts to remove the 
president, including a bid for a recall referendum, after winning 
control of the legislature in January.
But Maduro has challenged his rivals through the Supreme Court, 
which they accuse him of controlling.