The following information was provided to the DIRB by the director and general manager of the Fin de Siglo department in Maracaibo during a telephone interview on 14 September 1995.

Fin de Siglo is a chain of general department stores founded in 1961 in Maracaibo. The chain's head office is located in Maracaibo. The chain has four stores in Maracaibo and one in Barquisimento in the state of Lara. Depending on the season, the chain employs between 1,200 and 1,500 workers. Fin de Siglo is a discount store that sells a wide range of products including clothing, furniture and beauty products. The chain buys its products from retailers in the United States, Panama and other Latin American countries but has no department stores outside Venezuela. Fin de Siglo is registered at the Chambers of Commerce of the cities of Maracaibo and Caracas and that of the state of Lara in Barquisimento. Fin de Siglo is owned by two large investing firms (inversiónes), each of which has a 50 per cent share. These investing firms are Inversiónes Chabuca and Inversiónes Amar. These two firms are owned by two Venezuelan families but the director would not provide any information on their names or political affiliations, stating only that "there are no political affiliations whatsoever on the part of these two families."

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted by the DIRB for this Response to Information Request.

Fin de Siglo, C.A. 14 September 1995. Telephone interview with the director and general manager.