Chavez foes to increase efforts for peaceful solution to crisis

www.knoxnews.com By JORGE RUEDA, Associated Press January 19, 2003

CARACAS, Venezuela - Foes of President Hugo Chavez vowed on Saturday to step up efforts to resolve the country's crisis peacefully - one day after troops battled through protesters to raid privately owned bottling plants.

Government adversaries urged Venezuelans to use their vote in a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule rather than respond to violence with more violence.

Opposition representatives at talks mediated by the Organization of American States said they would plow on with negotiations despite statements by Chavez that the government could leave the talks.

Cesar Gaviria, the OAS secretary general, began mediating the talks in November. Little progress has been made while a 7-week-old strike called by business and labor groups to force Chavez from office threatens to destroy Venezuela's economy.

"If we decide to leave the table it's because those people (opposition) don't show demonstrations of wanting to take the democratic path," Chavez told the state-run Venpres news agency Saturday.

On Friday, soldiers seized food and drink from Venezuela's largest food company, Empresas Polar, and an affiliate of U.S. soft drink giant Coca-Cola to distribute among the people.

Chavez defended the raids in the industrial city of Valencia, 66 miles west of Caracas. He said the companies that owned the plants were denying Venezuelans food and drink during the crippling strike.

On Saturday, dozens of anti-Chavez protesters demonstrated outside a bottling plant in Valencia. An anti-government protest was slated to take place in the capital.

U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro said he was "concerned and disappointed" by the seizures.

The Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce and Industry denounced the actions as unconstitutional and offered support to any member companies whose rights were threatened.

Chavez was in Brazil on Saturday to speak with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about the newest initiative to end the bitter stalemate. A so-called "Group of Friends of Venezuela" is being set up with the participation of Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Chile, Portugal and Spain.

Chavez said he would seek similar meetings with presidents of the group's other member countries and added he was not worried by U.S. involvement. Washington has indicated it believes the best way out of the crisis is through new elections.