Venezuela opposition admits defeat
Venezuela's opposition yesterday formally conceded defeat in its attempt to oust President Hugo Chavez through a general strike.
In a last symbolic action, hundreds of thousands of signatures were collected for a petition against the government, but a jubilant Mr Chavez said: "They have the 'F' of failure on their foreheads."
The opposition insisted that the struggle was not over. Businesses were forced to re-open their doors or go bankrupt. Mr Chavez has agreed to hold a referendum on his continued presidency in August, but it is not yet clear whether the poll will actually take place.
The Left-wing president has vowed to accelerate his "peaceful revolution", designed to redistribute the country's wealth in favour of the 70 per cent of the population that live in poverty.