A new General Ports Law has been approved in Venezuela, which is expected to introduce significant changes to the liability regime of port operators and administrators. Venezuela law firm Sabatino Pizzolante notes that stevedores' and warehousemen's liability has always been a complex subject in Venezuela because of the lack of a proper legal framework. Despite the fact that port legislation is relatively new, there have until now been no specific rules governing port operators' liability. Regional port authorities have traditionally shifted liability for cargo loss and damage to the private sector, even in cases where the very nature of the responsibility - maintenance of navigation channels, dredging, and security, for example - is clearly on the port authority.