Chavez welcomes aid for Venezuela

www.boston.com But relief must be free of restrictions By Fabiola Sanchez, Associated Press, 1/18/2003

ARACAS - President Hugo Chavez welcomed foreign help to end a crippling seven-week strike but said yesterday his government won't be forced into negotiating with what he called a ''coup-plotting, fascist'' opposition.

Several countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and Spain, agreed to create a Group of Friends of Venezuela this week to seek solutions to the work stoppage that has brought the country's economy to a standstill.

Chavez cautioned, however, that his government ''won't accept any restrictions from the Friends'' group and warned other nations not to legitimize the opposition.

''Each country must make a great effort to understand what is happening in Venezuela,'' Chavez said in his annual state of the nation address to Congress. ''This is a democratic government, a democratic republic, confronting fascists, confronting terrorists, confronting coup plotters.''

Meanwhile, National Guard troops raided a privately owned bottling plant, taking water, soda, and malt beverages to distribute to Venezuelans suffering through food shortages caused by a 47-day-old general strike.

Heavily armed troops, accompanied by consumer protection authorities, raided the plant in the central city of Valencia, 66 miles from Caracas. The plant is owned by Panamco, the Coca-Cola bottler in Venezuela.

Chavez warned food producers he would send soldiers to seize plants and distribution centers hoarding staple foods. Fresh milk, flour, and bottled water have become scarce in many regions. The Venezuelan leader announced he was traveling to Brazil late yesterday to meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil to discuss the ''Friends'' initiative.

Opposition leaders accuse Chavez of amassing too much power and ruining the economy. They called the strike Dec. 2 to urge Chavez to back a nonbinding referendum on his presidency Feb. 2.

Chavez says Venezuela's constitution allows only a binding referendum halfway into a six-year presidential term. In Chavez's case, that will be in August.

Chavez said if a majority of Venezuelans vote to shorten his presidential term in August, he will respect the outcome.

The strike has punished Venezuela's oil industry, cost the nation at least $4 billion, and led to food and gasoline shortages. Chavez said the strike leaders were ''cruel'' for inflicting pain on Venezuelans. He insisted his government was reviving petroleum production in what was the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and the number four crude exporter to the United States.

Venezuela produced 3 million barrels a day of crude before the strike. The country's crude output was 512,000 barrels yesterday, up from 484,000 barrels Thursday, according to striking employees of the state-owned oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela SA.