houston venezuela former oil czar rafael ramirez say wednesday government would make one bad political move investigators target anti-corruption purge gain traction ahead country 2018 presidential election friction ramirez president nicolas maduro reflect grow rifts socialist party firmly unite late venezuelan leader hugo chavez come amid deep economic recession financial sanction impose unite state consider dictatorship ramirez speak reuters undisclosed location push last week venezuela ambassador unite nations say wait right time return country 54-year-old engineer also say yet decide launch run 2018 venezuelan presidential election maduro expect seek another term ramirez lead state-run oil company pdvsa decade chavez say approach venezuelan u.s. prosecutors investigate corruption case link pdvsa subsidiaries probe focus incidents occur watch one chavez long serve officials involve act corruption careful follow internal control mechanisms say thus far expand corruption probe state prosecutor office result authorities accuse 100 people include two former pdvsa presidents also serve oil minister maduro ramirez say prepare fight back investigators target close family serve advisors venezuelan government international arbitration case scenario would offbeat aim attack family go find say add trust venezuelan institutions confirm family members faithfully serve venezuela charge government work one ramirez relatives diego salazar detain last week accusations corruption money launder still ramirez say accusations corruption scandals take lightly hurt pdvsa reputation ability recover deep production decline country oil output fall year low level almost three decades million barrel per day 2013 level also criticize government focus pdvsa corruption accusations exclude public institutions oversee long-standing currency control system use convert distribute billions dollars come export company investigate without subject employees moral lynch say believe corruption probe genuine include whole venezuelan economy ramirez 2014 submit economic plan government move position unite nations action take due central government lack confidence say follow years government failure take need action also criticize analysts opposition lead great financial instability spiral inflation mount debt maduro struggle restructure economic action take urgency say lack motivation among pdvsa workers delay crude output due infrastructure problems low currency exchange rate impact pdvsa cash flow also address say venezuela 's ramirez attack efforts link corruption