www.voanews.com VOA News 12 Jan 2003, 01:25 UTC

Venezuela's embattled President Hugo Chavez has again issued a stern warning to his opponents, vowing to break a six-week general strike that has crippled the nation's economy.

Speaking Saturday at a rally of thousands of cheering supporters at a Caracas sports arena, Mr. Chavez said his revolutionary government will not give in to opposition demands for him to resign.

Accusing strike organizers of closing many of the nation's schools, Mr. Chavez said teachers who do not show up for work will be fired.

The latest warnings came as the opposition called for an anti-government march Sunday to a military complex where a similar march January third ended in clashes with Chavez supporters. That skirmish left two people dead and more than a dozen injured.

Friday, the president threatened to deploy government troops to seize privately-owned production plants idled by the protest.

Mr. Chavez already has ordered the military to take control of Venezuela's oil production facilities shut down by the strike and announced the firing of a thousand dissident oil workers.

Fuel pumps have gone dry at many service stations around the country. During the past week, bank workers and supermarket employees completed a two-day walkout in support of striking petroleum workers and managers.

President Chavez's opponents began the general strike December second to force him to resign and call early elections. He refuses to step down, saying the labor action amounts to a coup attempt.

The opposition says government policies are to blame for the shortages. Venezuela is the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and a key U.S. supplier. The political crisis has paralyzed the petroleum industry, which accounts for about 80 percent of Venezuela's export revenue, and has helped push up world oil prices.

www.abc.net.au Posted: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 11:37 AEDT

Blaming sabotage for gasoline shortages in Caracas, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Saturday ordered elite troops to patrol oil pipelines and distribution centers.

"Yesterday a group of subversives sabotaged three valves," he said, claiming the incident had occurred at the Carenero distribution center that supplies most of the gasoline used in the capital.

"Supplies had to be suspended," the former paratrooper said.

He said he ordered military commanders to "send rangers to patrol distribution centers and pipelines."

He said the elite troops "were trained to defeat subversion."

For the first time in over a week, gasoline shortages have been evident, as Caracas motorists lined up for hours to get a tankful of fuel.

A six-week-old strike aimed at forcing Chavez from office has targeted the state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) oil company, severely affecting exploitation, refining and exports.

Chavez again said striking PDVSA workers had been fired from the company, doubling the figure he first mentioned on Friday.

"I made a mistake, we're not talking about 1,000 but 2,000 who have been fired," he said.

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www.abc.net.au Posted: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 9:15 AEDT

General strike leaders from Venezuela are flying to New York to meet with the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in a fresh bid to win international support and break the country's 41-day dispute.

Officially, they are going to explain the reasons behind their strike that has crippled oil production and put the nation on the road to civil war.

But it can be seen as a vote of no confidence in the peace talks being led by the Organisation of American States.

This body represents western hemisphere countries.

There are widespread claims President Hugo Chavez is not committed to the talks.

The Bush Administration has indicated it wants to take a more active role in breaking the strike, which cut oil exports to the US and helped send crude oil prices to a two-year high.

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www.abc.net.au Posted: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 9:15 AEDT

General strike leaders from Venezuela are flying to New York to meet with the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in a fresh bid to win international support and break the country's 41-day dispute.

Officially, they are going to explain the reasons behind their strike that has crippled oil production and put the nation on the road to civil war.

But it can be seen as a vote of no confidence in the peace talks being led by the Organisation of American States.

This body represents western hemisphere countries.

There are widespread claims President Hugo Chavez is not committed to the talks.

The Bush Administration has indicated it wants to take a more active role in breaking the strike, which cut oil exports to the US and helped send crude oil prices to a two-year high.

Print  Email 

www.abc.net.au Posted: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 9:15 AEDT

General strike leaders from Venezuela are flying to New York to meet with the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in a fresh bid to win international support and break the country's 41-day dispute.

Officially, they are going to explain the reasons behind their strike that has crippled oil production and put the nation on the road to civil war.

But it can be seen as a vote of no confidence in the peace talks being led by the Organisation of American States.

This body represents western hemisphere countries.

There are widespread claims President Hugo Chavez is not committed to the talks.

The Bush Administration has indicated it wants to take a more active role in breaking the strike, which cut oil exports to the US and helped send crude oil prices to a two-year high.