(Editor's note: In the press release dated Dec. 21, 1999, PDV America Inc.'s senior unsecured debt rating was incorrectly listed as single-'B'-minus and the corporate credit rating was incorrectly listed as single-'B'-plus. The correct ratings are single-'B'-plus and double-'B' for the company's senior unsecured and corporate credit ratings, respectively. A corrected version follows below.) NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) Dec. 21, 1999--Standard&Poor's today lowered its ratings on Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) and its affiliates, including PDV America Inc. and CITGO Petroleum Corp. (See list below.) The ratings on PDV America and CITGO are removed from CreditWatch with developing implications, where they were placed on Sept. 8, 1999. The ratings outlook for all rated debt issued by
