The Venezuelan Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel said yesterday that relations with the Dominican Republic were “in the process of improving.” Rangel said that both nations’ foreign ministries were actively trying to mend the rift that emerged when the Venezuelan President ordered a suspension of oil exports to the Dominican Republic, due to his suspicion that a coup was being plotted against him from Dominican territory, headed by exiled former Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez, with the alleged complicity of the Dominican authorities. “Once Carlos Andres Perez’s status in the Dominican Republic and his relationship with high-ranking Dominican government officials is clarified, the crisis could be resolved,” said the Venezuelan VP. Venezuelan oil exporting agency (PDVSA) president Ali Rodriguez said that although Venezuela had suspended its daily sale of 25,000 barrels of crude oil to Refidomsa, the Dominican oil refineries, 85,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil were still reaching the Dominican Republic daily through intermediaries.