Carter offering Venezuela a solution - End of strike, new vote urged

www.miami.com Posted on Wed, Jan. 22, 2003 BY FRANCES ROBLES frobles@herald.com

CARACAS - Former president Jimmy Carter presented warring sides of Venezuela's political crisis two ways out of the country's 51-day strike Tuesday, for the first time offering a concrete proposal to end a crippling eight-week work stoppage and offer a presidential election.

Carter's two proposals would oblige the opposition trying to oust Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to lift the nationwide strike that has strangled the state-oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., and closed businesses around the nation. In one plan, the government would in turn agree to a binding recall referendum to take place Aug. 19. The other would pave the way for a constitutional amendment to cut the assembly and president's terms from six years to four -- effectively ending them now -- and call for new elections before August. Although faster, this second plan would first require the opposition to collect signatures for a nationwide vote on the constitutional amendment.

While both ideas have been publicly debated here for weeks, it was the first time that striking business, oil and labor leaders have been offered a deal in exchange for ending the strike. Carter, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, characterized Chávez's reaction to the proposals as ''positive.'' However, Chávez was expected to meet with his Cabinet before formally accepting.

Opposition leaders had no immediate comment.

''Without being presumptuous, I don't see any alternative,'' Carter said in an interview with four U.S. newspapers. ``The alternative is continued chaos.''

An alliance of business, labor and oil interests went on strike here Dec. 2 in a mission to topple Chávez, a former army officer whose consolidation of power and leftist policies have convinced a majority of the nation that he plans a quasi-communist regime. But the strike lasted much longer than anyone anticipated -- and so did Chávez's grasp on the presidency.

Despite talks that have dragged on for months, the president has adamantly refused to offer early elections, arguing that doing so would violate the nation's constitution. The only legal answer, he has said, is a recall referendum in August. But opposition leaders -- and the millions of Venezuelans who support them -- reject the idea of an August referendum, because they are deeply skeptical that Chávez would allow it to take place.

Carter said the proposal would guarantee international oversight by the recently formed ''Group of Friends'' that joined in on peace talks here.

The group -- Brazil, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Spain and Mexico -- would assure that there would be ''no trickery,'' Carter said.

The plans were presented separately Tuesday evening to the six negotiators on each side. Written responses are expected this week.

POSITIVE OUTLOOK

''It was constructive,'' said the Carter Center's vice president for conflict resolution, Matthew Hodes, a former Miami-Dade County prosecutor who presented the proposals. ``They are seriously considering these options. The idea was to move things forward.''

The proposals drafted by the Atlanta-based Carter Center would represent important concessions for both sides: Chávez would have to offer himself up to the public's will at the ballot box, and the opposition would have to accept a delay.

''In the end, the voters will decide,'' Chávez said after his breakfast meeting with Carter. ``I have even said that instead of blocking pipelines, sabotaging gasoline or milk for the children, they should put themselves to work on these ideas.''

The plans also involve amnesty for striking oil workers and criminal charges for oil workers accused of sabotage.

The government has accused striking workers of damaging oil systems to make it harder for strike-breakers to work.

''My opinion is both sides want to reach an agreement and an end to the impasse which has destroyed the nation's economy and social structure,'' Carter said after meeting with Chávez for two hours. ``I don't think anyone imagined the strike would last 50 days, and no one wants to see it last 70 days or 100 days.''

Meanwhile, getting gas here often takes days, and food staples such as milk and flour are beginning to run out. One protester was killed at a rally outside Caracas on Monday, making him the sixth to die since the strike began.

NO OTHER WAY OUT

''Why would Chávez accept? Because the situation is very serious,'' said Eduardo Fernández, president of a leading political party who met with Chávez this week. ``He can't govern.''

And while the strike has slowly eased on a commercial level, transportation workers said Tuesday that they planned to join the work stoppage this week.

''We consider that the way out has to be constitutional, democratic and peaceful,'' said labor leader Carlos Ortega, a key strike figure. ``Let's wait to see what that way out will be.''