<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Business leaders and government officials have joined together in criticizing the Confederation of Trade Unions' (CTV) call for a 30% pay rise made just days after the creation of a new trade union grouping aimed at replacing the CTV.

The creation of the Venezuelan National Workers Union (UNTV) was announced by President Hugo Chavez Frias during his weekly "Alo Presidente" radio show on Sunday and the government now expects may of the unions that the CTV represents to join the new grouping which it claims will be politically independent.

CTV secretary general Manuel Cova had called on the government to increase the minimum wage by by Bs.60,000 per month to Bs.250,000 due to the drop in consumer purchasing power.

Industrial Advisory Council (Consecomercio) president Julio Brazon labeled the call "extremely irresponsible" particularly in light of the current economic situation and the lack of foreign currencies to the vast majority of Venezuelan businesses.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Many foreign car manufacturers with plants in Venezuela have been forced to stop production over the past few days due to the lack of foreign currency needed to buy in vital parts to continue the assembly of vehicles as the Currency Administration Commission (Cadivi) still hasn't made foreign currencies available after nearly seven weeks of trading suspension. 

• General Motors has already been forced to halt operations and Ford Motors and Toyota are expected to follow suit over the next few weeks if dollars are not made available soon. 

The sector has been hit hard over the past few months with economic woes and the two month long opposition work stoppage taking a serious toll on sales.

Opposition leaders have widely criticized the controls, stating that they will force many Venezuelan businesses to close, but the government insists that they are necessary to protect international reserves.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

According to President Hugo Chavez Frias, divisions between Venezuela's military and its civilian population are now "a thing of the past." The President's comments came during the celebration of National Reservist's Day at the Fuerte Tiuna military base. Although the President was not actually present at the ceremony, his statement was readout to those present my the master of ceremonies.

"Uniformed or not uniformed, we are all Venezuelans, we are all citizens and we all aspire towards a free and beautiful homeland for ourselves and our children."

Since becoming the Venezuelan leader, the President has involved the military in many social projects and in the recent strikes the military played a key role in the distribution of food supplies across the country.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

The Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) has authorized $1.32 billion dollars to be issued by the Currency Administration Commission (Cadivi) throughout the month of April in a bid to limit the effects of seven weeks of foreign currency trading suspensions.

The news was officially confirmed in a statement issued by Planning & Development (Cordiplan) minister Felipe Perez to Cadivi president Edgar Hernandez Behrens.

This should allow around $60 million a day to be issued during the 22 working days on the month, which is back near pre-strike levels. According to Hernandez, Cadivi is doing everything possible to get the process up and running as quickly as possible.

Urgent foreign currency applications will be dealt with first, including those relating to airlines, exporters, importers, foreign debt payments and insurance and foreign investments.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Garett Sloane

Garett Sloane of A.M. Costa Rica reports: A political asylum seeker from Venezuela was welcomed into Costa Rica Thursday where the government is protecting him for humanitarian reasons.

Carlos Ortega, president of the Confederación de Trabajadores de Venezuela, left the Costa Rican Embassy in Venezuela under heavy police protection en route to the airport, according to reports. He had been in the embassy since March 13 seeking asylum to leave Venezuela where he said he was not safe from political persecution.

Ortega was one of the leaders responsible for organizing the two-month strike that attempted to dislodge Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, from power. The strikes toward that aim were unsuccessful.

He went into hiding last month after the Venezuelan government sought his arrest on treason and rebellion charges for his role in the strike. Ortega later took refuge at the embassy, saying he feared for his safety.

The Costa Rican government granted the opposition leader asylum because it is convinced of Ortega’s claims that he is not safe in Venezuela where he may be a target of violence, according to the executive order allowing the asylum signed by Abel Pacheco, president of Costa Rica.

The friendship between the governments of Costa Rica and Venezuela will not be affected by this  incident, said Roberto Tovar, Costa Rica’s foreign minister. The Venezuelan authorities were cooperative in the effort to transfer Ortega from the country, Tovar said.

Tovar and Ortega met here in the Casa Amarilla upon the Venezuelan’s arrival. Tovar welcomed Ortega on behalf of the Costa Rican people and then Ortega thanked them. The union leader is here to work and not vacation, he said. Ortega said he could make plans to go to the United States or Spain. Other opponents of Chavez have been granted asylum in other nations.