Venezuelan sides agree to meet on Carter strike proposals

www.dailynews.com209541145430,00.html Article Last Updated: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 10:27:03 PM MST By Juan Forero The New York Times

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez's government and his opponents are ready to discuss two proposals put forth by former President Carter to end a devastating national strike, a mediator in the talks and government foes said Wednesday.

The development is a shift for both sides, who had refused to entertain ideas on how to end a two-month walkout that has battered the economy. But that changed with Carter's intervention and the recent creation of a group of nations designed to guarantee that both sides comply with an accord.

"They are starting to look at the same reality," said Cesar Gaviria, secretary-general of the Organization of American States and the mediator in Caracas. "In December, they were looking at different realities."

The two sides will meet Friday, along with representatives from the so-called Group of Friends, which consists of the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Spain and Portugal.

In a Jan. 21 visit to Caracas, Carter made two suggestions to end the standoff. One was to adopt a constitutional amendment that would cut the president's term to four years from six, ending Chavez's presidency this year and leading to new elections. The other was to hold a recall referendum in August, asking whether the president should be removed from office. Chavez has long publicly supported a referendum.

"We favor a proposal that permits an accord to permit elections no later than August of this year," Jesus Torrealba, executive secretary of the Democratic Coordinator, the umbrella for opposition organizations, said in an interview. "The Carter proposals are an excellent base for negotiations."

Gaviria said acceptance of the proposals had ended the stalemate at the negotiating table and could lead to talks that might end a strike called Dec. 2 by business leaders, unions and political parties to force Chavez to resign or to convene early elections.

The walkout, affecting nearly every industry nationwide, has paralyzed the economy and nearly shut down the oil industry in Venezuela, a crucial supplier of petroleum to the United States. But Chavez's government, while low on cash and faced with mounting protests, proved to be more resilient than many opponents thought.

Now, many shops are operating normally. Banks have announced they will return to normal working hours, and larger businesses like malls are expected to open next week. Government opponents have called the changes a sign of their flexibility in the strike, though it is clear that Venezuelans are increasingly dropping their support.