www.voanews.com VOA News 24 Jan 2003, 15:41 UTC

A six-nation group including Brazil, Chile and the United States is to meet in Washington Friday, in another effort to help resolve Venezuela's political crisis.

The so-called "group of friends" is to convene at the headquarters of the Organization of American States.

The group, which also includes Mexico, Spain and Portugal, has been trying to mediate talks between Venezuela's government and the opposition. On Thursday, a bomb blast killed one person and wounded at least 14 others at a pro-government rally in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Officials said the blast spread shrapnel through the crowd that had gathered to show support for embattled President Hugo Chavez. Mr. Chavez was at the event, but several blocks away at the time of the explosion. Venezuela's oil-rich economy has been crippled by a general strike, now in its 54th day, called by opposition groups in a bid to force President Chavez from office.

www.forbes.com Reuters, 01.24.03, 11:24 AM ET 

NEW YORK, Jan 24 (Reuters) - NYMEX crude futures jumped late morning on Friday as the United States pressed for more credible interviews of Iraqi scientists by U.N. arms inspectors to see if Iraq is keeping banned weapons.

At 11:15 a.m. EST (1615 GMT), NYMEX March crude was up 41 cents at $32.66 a barrel, off the session peak of $32.75. It hit a session low of $32.11 earlier.

"There's new length buying going on," said a NYMEX trader, referring to the opening of long positions.

In early trade, prices moved sideways near unchanged with sellers prompted by news of rising Venezuelan oil exports.

In London, Brent March crude was up 33 cents at $30.05 a barrel, reversing higher with the NYMEX market.

The United States continued to make its case for war on Friday, saying it had evidence Iraq has maintained a program to produce weapons that have been banned since the 1991 Gulf War.

The White House said Iraq's refusal to allow scientist to be interviewed without minders was "unacceptable," Such interviews should be allowed without delay, it said.

The United Nations will get its report from weapons inspectors on Monday and U.S. President George W. Bush will address the nation the following day.

Opposition to the U.S. stand has mounted, with China and Russia joining France, Germany and Canada on Thursday in urging that U.N. weapons inspectors be given more time in Iraq.

Two U.S. Navy vessels including a hospital ship sailed along the Suez Canal on Friday, heading for the Red Sea and on to the Gulf amid a military build-up for a potential war against Iraq, shipping sources said.

And a British ship carrying arms and ammunition would arrive at the Mediterranean city of Port Said at the entrance of the Suez Canal on Saturday, also headed to the Gulf, the sources added. In Caracas, shipping data showed that Venezuelan oil exports jumped 62 percent in the week to Friday to 688,000 barrels per day, or 25 percent of capacity, as the government struggled to break a 54-day-old strike in the world's fifth largest exporter, shipping data showed on Friday.

The recovery in exports adds weight to reports of rising flows at the wellhead in the OPEC member state, where a bitter political conflict is being played out in the oil industry, a key supplier to the United States.

Venezuela exported 2.7 million bpd before the strike, which is intended to force President Hugo Chavez from office, and exports have averaged 519,000 bpd over the past four weeks.

On Friday, striking oil workers said Venezuela's oil output had risen to 812,000 barrels per day (bpd) -- equivalent to 25 percent of capacity.

Earlier in the week, NYMEX crude hit a two-year high of $35.20 on fears of a U.S.-led war on Iraq.

U.S. oil inventory data released Thursday showed an unexpected rise in crude oil stocks in the week to last Friday, defying expectations that supplies would fall below 270 million barrels for the first time since 1975.

NYMEX February heating oil was up 0.27 cent at 91.80 cents a gallon, trading between 90.85 and 92.70 cents.

Gasoline futures were up as European oil traders are shipping gasoline to Venezuela to make up for its scarce fuel supplies during an eight-week general strike, dealers said on Friday.

NYMEX February gasoline extended gains, trading 1.29 cents higher at 91.10 cents, moving within a 89.90-91.40 cent range.

www.cnn.com Friday, January 24, 2003 Posted: 11:00 AM EST (1600 GMT)

As long as this group supports an electoral and peaceful solution to Venezuela's crisis, our efforts will coincide with theirs.

-- Alejandro Armas, opposition negotiator

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela's opposition leaders took their case against President Hugo Chavez to Washington on Friday, joining six nations to discuss ending the country's strike.

Chavez's opponents were to meet with delegates of six nations that support negotiations mediated by the Organization of American States. Among the proposals is one offered by former President Jimmy Carter to end the 54-day-old strike in exchange for early elections.

Venezuela's opposition called the strike December 2 to demand that Chavez resign or call early elections. The protests have crippled production in the world's fifth largest oil exporter.

Opposition leaders contend Chavez's leftist policies have damaged business and scared away foreign investment.

"As long as this group supports an electoral and peaceful solution to Venezuela's crisis, our efforts will coincide with theirs," Alejandro Armas, an opposition negotiator, told local Union Radio from Washington on Friday. "We need to be sympathetic, optimistic and supportive of this initiative."

The countries attending the talks are the United States, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal and Spain.

Chavez has said he welcomed international help but warned against outside intervention in Venezuela's affairs. He urged the six nations to recognize that he was elected democratically and warned them not to give equal weight to an "undemocratic" opposition.

Pipe bomb explodes at massive pro-Chavez rally

Adding to the tension, a pipe bomb exploded in downtown Caracas on Thursday, killing one and wounding at least 14 as about 300,000 people were rallying to support Chavez.

Authorities sort through trash near the site of the bomb blast.

A homeless man who was rummaging in the trash where the bomb was apparently hidden was killed in the blast, said Col. Rodolfo Briceno, the Caracas fire chief.

The rally went on as planned, with Chavez insisting that his left-wing, populist regime would outlast the strike.

Chavez accused strike leaders and the Venezuelan news media of using the strike to weaken the economy and orchestrate a coup like the one in April that briefly forced him from office.

"The Venezuelan people don't want violence," Chavez told the crowd.

The rally followed a decision earlier this week by Venezuela's supreme court to invalidate a planned February 2 referendum aimed at forcing Chavez from power -- a nonbinding vote that he had declared unconstitutional.

Most blue-collar workers and half the administrators have returned to work at the state oil monopoly and production has surpassed 1 million barrels a day, the company's president, Ali Rodriguez, told the state news agency Venpres Thursday.

Union and striking oil executives disputed his claims about the work force and insisted production is about 812,000 barrels a day. Pre-strike production was about 3.2 million barrels a day.

money.cnn.com Shipments of 688,000 barrels per day leaves country at 25% of capacity as strike carries on. January 24, 2003: 10:54 AM EST

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan oil exports jumped 62 percent in the week ending Friday to 688,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 25 percent of capacity, as the government struggled to break a strike in the world's fifth-largest exporter, shipping data showed Friday.

Oil exports in the seven days to Friday stood at 688,000 bpd, up from 424,000 bpd in the previous week, according to information from ship agents and port authorities.

Venezuela exported 2.7 million bpd before the strike, which is intended to force President Hugo Chavez from office, and exports have averaged 519,000 bpd during the past four weeks.

"Exports are rising a bit, but they still face big problems getting foreign shippers to come back," said a Venezuelan ship agent.

Chavez is trying to break the seven-week-old strike by using troops and replacement crews at the terminals, but many lack certification to handle oil, safety standards are poor and missing documentation make insurance risks high.

Most Venezuelan refineries are shut or severely crippled, and Caracas has resorted to importing big volumes of gasoline from international markets to ease severe fuel shortages.

Three companies are regularly importing Venezuelan oil from mainland ports: U.S. refiner and marketer Citgo, fully owned by Venezuelan state company Petroleos de Venezuela; Lyondell Citgo, an affiliate; and Cuban state oil company Cupet.  

money.cnn.com Shipments of 688,000 barrels per day leaves country at 25% of capacity as strike carries on. January 24, 2003: 10:54 AM EST

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan oil exports jumped 62 percent in the week ending Friday to 688,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 25 percent of capacity, as the government struggled to break a strike in the world's fifth-largest exporter, shipping data showed Friday.

Oil exports in the seven days to Friday stood at 688,000 bpd, up from 424,000 bpd in the previous week, according to information from ship agents and port authorities.

Venezuela exported 2.7 million bpd before the strike, which is intended to force President Hugo Chavez from office, and exports have averaged 519,000 bpd during the past four weeks.

"Exports are rising a bit, but they still face big problems getting foreign shippers to come back," said a Venezuelan ship agent.

Chavez is trying to break the seven-week-old strike by using troops and replacement crews at the terminals, but many lack certification to handle oil, safety standards are poor and missing documentation make insurance risks high.

Most Venezuelan refineries are shut or severely crippled, and Caracas has resorted to importing big volumes of gasoline from international markets to ease severe fuel shortages.

Three companies are regularly importing Venezuelan oil from mainland ports: U.S. refiner and marketer Citgo, fully owned by Venezuelan state company Petroleos de Venezuela; Lyondell Citgo, an affiliate; and Cuban state oil company Cupet.