Foes of Venezuela's Chavez say extend strike

www.forbes.com Reuters, 01.23.03, 7:53 PM ET

CARACAS, Venezuela, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition, fighting a campaign to oust President Hugo Chavez, said Thursday they had extended for a 54th day their strike aimed at pressing the populist leader to resign.

The stoppage, which began on Dec. 2, has slashed Venezuela's vital oil production and output, rattled energy markets and driven the world's No. 5 crude exporter deeper into recession.

"We continue with this national civic protest...We must brace ourselves for this fight," anti-Chavez business leader Julio Brazon told reporters.

Strikers, including state oil firm PDVSA workers, say they will strike until Chavez resigns, calls elections and reinstates fired oil workers. Some blue-collar oil workers have returned to work. But support for the strike remains strong among skilled workers at oilfields and refineries, and managers.

Chavez, a former paratrooper who was elected in 1998 and survived a coup, has refused to step down. He says he is defeating the strike using troops and replacement workers. Strikers dismiss his claims, but oil production has crept up since the stoppage began.