Jose Ángel Pereira was unjustly detained and held captive in Venezuela for almost five years, from November 21, 2017 to October 1, 2022. Pereira was a member of the so-called CITGO6.
His only crime was being an American. Before being taken hostage, he spent thirty-five years as an oil company executive and CEO of Citgo Petroleum (a US-based refinery complex and extensive gas station distribution center).
Pereira earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Universidad de Oriente (UDO) in Venezuela in 1985.
He joined Corpoven, S.A. (today Petróleos de Venezuela-PDVSA (Venezuelan State company), the fifth largest oil company in the world at that time.
In 1989 he completed his Master of Business Administration at Florida International University through a joint program with Universidad De Oriente (UDO).
In 2012, he received a Diploma in International Taxation from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
Throughout his career, Pereira held several management positions in various PDVSA subsidiaries worldwide.
He was assigned to numerous joint ventures of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) with Ente Nationale Idrocarburi (ENI), including ENI—Italy, Inpex—Japan, China National Petroleum Company (CNPC)—China, Statoil—Norway, Total—France, and Chevron. Conoco and Exxon—USA
He was chief financial officer of CVP (a subsidiary of PDVSA's international joint ventures) and rose to become CEO of Citgo Petroleum, replacing Nelson Martínez, who later became Minister of Petroleum and president of PDVSA.
Pereira was part of Venezuela's large oil and petrochemical projects in the 1980s, launching PDVSA to become one of the top five companies in the international oil business.
He was actively involved in several management positions, including the "Apertura Petrolera" (privatization of oil fields in Venezuela) in the 1990s, the most extensive privatization of state-owned companies at that time.
Pereira was instrumental in directing the internationalization of PDVSA in the late 1990s and early 2000s and in the renationalization of PDVSA in 2006-2007.
He was also part of the PDVSA team that created the Venezuelan Petroleum Corporation (CVP). This subsidiary managed more than forty JVs with international oil companies in Venezuela.
His strategic leadership promoted him to the positions of CFO and CEO of US-based Citg Petroleum, which he held until his retirement.
While at the peak of his career as CEO of Citgo (the sixth largest refinery complex in the United States), Pereira was called to attend a business meeting in Caracas at the headquarters of Petróleo de Venezuela (PDVSA), (Citgo's parent company).
That day, the Venezuelan regime accused him of corruption, espionage and treason, among other false charges, and captured and imprisoned him. This nightmare lasted 1,775 days: four years and eight long months.
After the United States government orchestrated his release, Pereira focused on defending and supporting hostage families enduring similar nightmares and broken trials.
His experience made it clear that what he survived can help others who struggle to overcome, thrive and succeed in any circumstance.
He now speaks to spread a message of resilience, hope, faith and survival in a speech titled:
"From Captivity to Freedom: Overcoming adversity and trauma to build resilience: with a message of Love, Faith and Hope"
Pereira is proof that we can conquer anything.
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Hostage US is a 501c3 non-profit organization that supports families of Americans taken hostage or wrongfully detained abroad and supports hostages and detainees when they return home.
Each year, an estimated 200 Americans are taken hostage overseas. We are here to help families survive this terrifying ordeal and help former hostages rebuild their life after captivity. For more information on Hostage US please visit www.hostageus.org
Hostage Aid is a non-profit NGO 501(c)(3) that was recently established in September 2020 by a group of former hostages from around the world, families of hostages and subject matter experts, all of whom, based on their different personal experiences as well as suffering have banded together to fight for the release of hostages globally while aiming to prevent this inhumane act of hostage taking from occurring against other innocent people.
HAW will complement the great work that is being carried out by other important organizations that help and advocate for hostages. In addition to providing humanitarian relief and support to current and former hostages who were unlawfully detained, HAW is aiming to work closely with technology experts and different stakeholders to scientifically address the hostage taking “business model” by identifying ways to target different components of this model and disrupt its operation. This will be done by a state-of-the-art scientific and data-driven approach to state sponsored hostage taking which is being developed as a tool with an aim to put an end to hostage taking.
To this end, HAW is in the process of initiating a hostage tracking system powered by artificial intelligence that will assist governments struggling to deal with the global hostage crises and can be used as a significant tool to achieve tangible outcomes.
See www.hostageaid.org for more.
Inspired by the life, work, and moral courage of American journalist, educator and humanitarian James W. Foley, we catalyze action, research and policy to advocate for freedom of all US nationals wrongfully detailed or held hostage abroad, to ensure government accountability to prioritize their safe return and to educate and protect journalists and international travelers.
The Amer Fakhoury Foundation fights for all victims of illegal detention as well as victims living under radical and corrupted governments. We look to provide advocacy, emotional, and financial support to the victims and their families. We work to ensure anti-torture laws are created and implemented in countries that enforce torture on helpless victims.
Our founders are the daughters of the late Amer Fakhoury. Amer was kidnapped and held hostage by Hezbollah, a recognized terrorist organization. Separated by force from his family, and under extreme physical and emotional torture, Amer was coerced to sign false documents which were later used against him to keep him imprisoned in Lebanon. After several months of his family and the United States Government fighting for his freedom, Amer was finally released on March 19th, 2020. However, due to the torture, abuse, and maltreatment he received during his unlawful detention, he passed away shortly after his return home. Together, we will fight tirelessly to advocate for the release or rescue of hostage victims.
With your help, we can save lives, bring justice to those denied it, and comfort to those impacted.
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Order "From Hero to Villain" and support the hostage community.
Jose has selected the following organization to donate 30% from each sale as a contribution to help aid their important efforts:
1) Foley Foundation
2) Hostages US
3) Hostage aid worldwide
4) Amer Fakhoury Foundation
Following the checkout, you will be given the option to specify an organization to receive your donation, otherwise it will be split equally to all 4.
Additionally, as first to support Jose on his journey to publishing, readers who order a copy through Publishizer will also receive an invitation to a free group masterclass with Jose live on Zoom.
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Readers who pre order this bonus will receive a copy signed personally by Jose!
+ 30% donated to support the hostage community
+ Free group masterclass with Jose live on Zoom.
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$500 5 Print Copies + Exclusive Group Masterclass with Jose
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5 Print Copies of "From Hero to Villain"
+ 30% donated to support the hostage community
+ Exclusive group masterclass with Jose live on Zoom.
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$996 Group Speaking Engagement (Virtual) + 25 Copies
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Through these various speaking topics, Jose Pereira shares his story of being held hostage and how we can overcome adversity through resilience, hope, love for the family, and faith in God. He discusses how he survived his tragic experience daily, week by week, month by month, year by year until he returned after 1775 days of captivity.
With this bonus, readers receive 75 copies and a Virtual Speaking engagement with Jose, selecting from the following Speaking Topics:
FROM CAPTIVITY TO FREEDOM: EMBRACING RESILIENCE AND THE POWER OF HOPE, LOVE, AND FAITH
TRANSFORMING TRAUMA INTO TRIUMPH: REBUILDING YOUR LIFE AFTER CAPTIVITY
DISCOVERING INNER STRENGTH: UNLEASHING THE POWER WITHIN YOU
THE ROLE OF SUPPORT SYSTEMS: FINDING AND GIVING HOPE TO THE HOSTAGE COMMUNITY
EMBRACING POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH: THRIVING BEYOND ADVERSITY
**This can be upgraded to a live, in person event for an additional cost. Email to learn more **
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MY JOURNEY TO ASSIST TO THE NYC 78th UN General Assembly Forum hosted by HOSTAGE AID WORLDWIDE
In the heart of New York City, on September 18th, I had the profound privilege of participating in the Forum Battling Hostage Diplomacy, organized by Hostage Aid Worldwide in conjunction with the 78th United Nations General Assembly.
This critical gathering took place in the historic Harvard Club, where global leaders and passionate individuals convened to address the pressing issue of international politics.
Hostage taking and arbitrary detention have become an alarming global concern, with a significant rise in cases of hostage diplomacy.
These actions, often with international implications, transcend borders and affect people from all corners of the world. It is imperative that we unite against nations that employ citizens as bargaining chips to gain leverage in international affairs.
It is a risk that knows no boundaries and poses a threat to all of humanity.
At the heart of this forum, I took part in Panel 2:
Hostages & Families: Global Similarities & Shared Experiences.
This panel brought together former hostages and family members who have endured the trials of hostage situations.
We shared our stories, challenges, and experiences with our respective governments, highlighting the importance of information-sharing and the support of the global community.
The esteemed panelists included:
- Ali Arab: Board member of Hostage Aid Worldwide and an Associate Professor of Statistics at Georgetown University.
- Jose Pereira: A member of the CITGO6, a group of Americans wrongfully detained and held captive in Venezuela for five years. -
Debra Tice: Mother of American journalist Austin Tice, unjustly detained in Syria since August 2012.
- Gazelle Sharmahd: Daughter of German-American Jamshid Sharmahd, who was kidnapped in Dubai and taken to Iran, where he was sentenced to death.
- Richard Ratcliff: Husband of Iranian British Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was taken hostage by Iran in 2016.
Our collective mission was clear – to urge all United Nations member countries to unite and take a strong, unified stance against the hostage business model.
The voices of hostages and their families have never been more united, transcending borders, languages, and cultures. In a world filled with challenges, it's through such gatherings that we can begin to address the complex issue of hostage diplomacy and work towards a more secure and compassionate global society.
Together, we can stand against this global threat, protect the innocent, and make the world a safer place for all. #HostageAidWorldwide #UNGA #HostageDiplomacy