Venezuela listens to diplomats' ideas on ending unrest
WASHINGTON -- Venezuela's foreign minister said Saturday that his government welcomes preliminary suggestions made by diplomats from the United States and five other countries to end the political unrest in his country.
"We are convinced that we will reach a solution in a democratic way," Roy Chaderton said in an interview.
Chaderton came to Washington to participate in the meeting Friday of the newly formed "Group of Friends," which also includes officials from Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain and Portugal. Also participating was Cesar Gaviria, secretary-general of the Organization of American States, which hosted the meeting.
The diplomats called on the government of President Hugo Chavez and the opposition to tone down their inflammatory rhetoric and end political violence. The countries will send delegations to Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, on Thursday to continue talks to break the political impasse.
"A concern for the risk of violence in Venezuela is valid," Chaderton said. He also said his government would cooperate with the meeting.
A general strike called by the opposition has lasted more than two months, hurting oil production in the world's fifth-largest exporter. The opposition sees the leftist Chavez as authoritarian and hostile to business. Chavez's backers say he has strong support among the country's poor and see the opposition as undemocratic, noting a failed coup attempt in April.
In Caracas on Saturday, tens of thousands of opponents of Chavez gathered on a highway, preparing to stay there overnight to protest a Supreme Court decision suspending a referendum on Chavez's rule.
Protesters covered 2.5 miles of asphalt, chanting "Until he goes!" and waving red, blue and yellow Venezuelan flags. Many brought tents and air mattresses; others carried foldout chairs, portable TVs and radios.
Caracas fire Chief Rodolfo Briceno said at least 100,000 people were present.
The loosely grouped opposition is trying to recover from the blow of a Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday that indefinitely postponed a Feb. 2 referendum that would have asked Venezuelans whether Chavez should resign.
The president's opponents had gathered 2 million signatures to petition for the vote. They backed up their demand by launching a devastating strike Dec. 2 and staging daily street protests.
More than 2,000 soldiers, police and firefighters were on guard. Back in Washington, Chaderton did not respond directly when asked if Chavez feared the protests would force him from office. "We have very good reasons to be optimistic that this will have a democratic outcome, because we are a democracy," he said.
Diplomats are discussing proposals made by former U.S. President Carter to either hold a binding recall referendum or amend the constitution to allow early presidential elections.
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 of 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 usually levels of about 3.1 million barrels per day.
Commercial centers and many large firms remain closed. Support for the strike has frayed, however, as some businesses reopened as the shutdown takes a toll on the private sector.