Editorial Roundup - Excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers in the United States and abroad:

www.heraldtribune.com By The Associated Press ...... Feb. 4 Der Tagesspiegel, Berlin, Germany on the end of the general strike against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: At the moment all are claiming to have won. Hugo Chavez sees himself as the winner because the opposition has had to end its two-month-long strike. The protesters point out that the mediation of Jimmy Carter has forced him to agree to negotiations leading to a referendum which could more than halve his term in office. But in actual fact this power struggle has produced no victors, but only losers. The strike has cost Venezuela between 25 and 30 percent of its economic strength. Hundreds of businesses are bankrupt. It will take months for the economy to recover. ... ........ Feb. 4 Der Bund, Bern, Switzerland, on the general strike in Venezuela: It is hardly pure political reason that finally led the political opposition in Venezuela to give in. Instead, the strike front has been crumbling recently. More and more small businesses saw no sense in ruining the economy of the country and themselves for a power struggle that led nowhere.

President Chavez, who still has at his disposal an army of passionate supporters, proved to be completely unfazed by the weeks of mass protests. Even the economic demise of his country combined with the collapse of the crucially important oil sector were apparently less important to him than his personal claim to power. ...

Of course, Chavez now finds himself in a triumphant position. But his jubilation is naive and arrogant. Even if the referendum initiated by the opposition works in his favor, contrary to expectations, in the long term the president cannot afford to ignore the dissatisfaction of whole groups of the population.