Venezuelan Minister Says Chávez Won't Give In to Strikers

By GINGER THOMPSON

CARACAS, Venezuela, Jan. 4 — Venezuela's foreign minister said today that the government regretted the violence that erupted Friday during a march against President Hugo Chávez, and acknowledged that the monthlong strike aimed at forcing Mr. Chávez out of office had taken a serious toll on the nation's economy. Advertisement

But the minister, Roy Chaderton, accused strike leaders — particularly executives at the state-owned oil company — of shutting down the heart of this nation's economy in an effort to overthrow the government. He also insisted that Mr. Chávez would not give in to opposition calls for early elections.

"Democracy cannot be subject to the rises and falls in the polls," Mr. Chaderton said, referring to Mr. Chávez's declining approval ratings. "So, just because today is a bad day is not a reason to call for immediate elections and to pressure with violence, to paralyze a country, and strangle the economy just to force out a president."

"It is true that this government has made many mistakes," the minister said. "But errors in a democracy are paid in elections, within the norms of the Constitution."

On Friday, a protest by Mr. Chávez's opponents turned into a street fight that lasted most of the day. Tens of thousands of opposition demonstrators marched toward a military base to demand the release of a dissident general who was a leader of a failed coup last spring and urge the military to support the strike.

Supporters of Mr. Chávez confronted the marchers, and a fight ensued. Later, shots rang out.

Newspaper reports said two men, one 22 and the other 24, were killed and five other people were wounded by the gunfire. Dozens of others suffered injuries from rocks thrown by the battling protesters and from rubber bullets and tear gas fired by national guard troops.

The streets of the capital returned to calm today, and an estimated 20,000 supporters of Mr. Chávez turned out to demonstrate their support for the government.

Mr. Chaderton said Mr. Chávez was trying to prevent a repeat of a coup attempt last April, when the Venezuelan president was forced by the military to leave office for 48 hours after a violent protest outside the presidential compound.

He suggested that the opposition, frustrated that it had not been able to force Mr. Chávez out of power, had begun provoking violence as a way to turn up the pressure on him. But Mr. Chaderton said this effort, like last year's coup attempt, would fail.

"Despite the problems, the country is moving forward except for the oil industry, which has been hit the hardest," he said. "But the country is going forward. The stores are open. People are going to work."

Venezuelan Leader Says He'll Weather Strike by Opponents  (December 16, 2002)