Latin American leaders seek solution to Venezuela crisis

www.adn.com By GONZALO SOLANO, Associated Press

QUITO, Ecuador (January 15, 6:46 p.m. AST) - Several Latin American leaders agreed Wednesday to create a regional forum to seek solutions for a seven-week-old strike in Venezuela that has divided that nation and crippled its key oil industry.

The decision was warmly welcomed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who endorsed such a group two weeks ago.

"A group of friendly nations can help the world understand what is really happening in Venezuela and share ideas - like convincing the opposition of what a political opposition should do in keeping with the constitution and not through subversive acts," Chavez said.

Wednesday's meeting coincided with the inauguration of Ecuadorean President Lucio Gutierrez, which brought Latin American presidents together. It also augmented ongoing negotiations in Venezuela led by the Organization of American States.

"We are seeking a solution that is peaceful, constitutional, democratic and electoral," OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria said after the meeting.

Gaviria said the forum, informally known as the "Group of Friends of Venezuela," would include representatives from the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Spain and Portugal.

The U.S. State Department has voiced support for Gaviria's mission on an almost daily basis for weeks. U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher reaffirmed that support on Friday, but he also spoke of bringing Mexico into the "Group of Friends" to support the OAS efforts.

"We look forward to being a part of this group and to beginning its important work," U.S. State Department spokesman Lou Fintor said Wednesday.

Citing political and economic unrest, Venezuela's opposition launched a general strike Dec. 2 to demand that Chavez resign or call early elections if he loses a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum on his rule.

Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, has said he will ignore the referendum.

Wednesday's meeting was attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

Chavez, as well as Cuban President Fidel Castro and Ecuador's Gutierrez, who were in Quito, did not attend the meeting.

"It was prudent that Chavez was not present, because he cannot judge on his own behalf," Peru's Toledo told reporters after the meeting.