Foes of Venezuela's Chavez Rally for Vote

www.ohio.com Posted on Sat, Jan. 25, 2003
BY PATRICK MARKEY Reuters

CARACAS, Venezuela - Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez jammed a major Caracas highway on Saturday to demand the leftist leader call elections in the world's No. 5 oil exporter.

A festive sea of demonstrators packed stretches of the Francisco Fajardo highway for a rally that mixed politics with partying in support of a 55-day-old opposition strike aimed at forcing Chavez from power.

Blaring music mingled with political chants as some camped out in tents for the day-long protest against a Supreme Court decision to suspend a Feb. 2 referendum -- a setback for their campaign to oust Chavez.

Opposition leaders said they would instead use the referendum date for a campaign to collect petitions for a constitutional amendment that could cut short the populist president's rule.

"He has to go. After more than 50 days we can wait a few more until he is out," said Flores Diaz, 26, a lawyer cloaked in a red, yellow and blue Venezuelan flag.

The opposition strike, led by managers at state oil firm PDVSA, has slashed Venezuela's vital petroleum output, driving up world crude prices and drawing the international community into the nation's tense political deadlock.

Daily protests, severe domestic fuel shortages and fiery political rhetoric from both sides have stoked tensions. At least seven people have been killed and dozens wounded in clashes and shootings since the shutdown began on Dec. 2.

Two days before Saturday's huge rally, hundreds of thousands of Chavez supporters packed central Caracas in a show of strength for the former paratrooper, whose promises to ease poverty handed him a landslide election victory in 1998.

The pugnacious Venezuelan leader refuses to yield to foes he brands as rich elites trying to topple him by destroying the oil sector. His critics counter that Chavez has ruled like a corrupt, inept dictator and say their strike will go on until he quits or agrees to a vote.

"The fight continues and strike continues," anti-Chavez business leader Carlos Fernandez told reporters at the rally.

GLOBAL HELP AMID ECONOMIC CRUNCH

Nearly eight weeks into the grueling shutdown, Chavez and his foes appear set on standing their ground even as the strike drives Venezuela's fragile economy deeper into recession. Oil exports account for half the government's revenues.

The Finance Ministry and the Central Bank on Wednesday shut down foreign currency exchange markets to stave off capital flight and halt the deep slide in the local bolivar currency as investors seek the safety of the U.S. dollar.

Fighting back against the strikers, Chavez has ordered troops and replacement workers to take over oil installations. Crude production and exports have crept back up, but the industry is still operating far below its usual output of about 3.1 million barrels per day.

Commercial centers, some schools and many large firms remain closed. Banks are open for limited hours and huge lines form outside gas stations for scarce supplies. But support for the strike is fraying and businesses are reopening as the shutdown takes a heavy toll on the private sector.

The international community on Friday stepped up efforts to break the stalemate. After meeting in Washington, six regional governments led by the U.S. and Brazil said they would send a team to Caracas next week to back negotiations brokered by the Organization of American States.

The peace talks, which started more than two months ago, are stalled as government and opposition negotiators haggle over the timing of possible elections.

Former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter has proposed two solutions: the constitutional amendment that will shorten the president's term in office or a binding referendum on his rule on Aug. 19. Both sides say they are analyzing the options. Changing the constitution requires a popular referendum, which can be called with signatures from 15 percent of the electorate.

Chavez's term ends in early 2007 and presidential elections could be called at the end of 2006.

The president's popularity has fallen sharply. But he still retains strong support among poor voters who believe his reforms will give them access to the nation's huge oil wealth.

"We thought Chavez was a good alternative offering peace, but he has divided the country," said factory manager Luis Colina taking part in Saturday's rally. "People want to take away Chavez's mandate, but he's scared of a vote."